


Not as crazy as it seems

by inthepapers3times



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015), Legend (2015)
Genre: Eggsy discovering things about his feelings for Harry, Eggsy going undercover with the Kray Twins, M/M, Minor Character Death, Referenced suicide, The Kray Twins, it's mainly Ronnie/Eggsy, some homophobic language, some smut but mostly plot, the Hartwin is super slow burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-16
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2018-03-30 19:32:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 82,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3948955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inthepapers3times/pseuds/inthepapers3times
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A 'Legend' and 'Kingsman' cross-over.<br/>It is 1968.<br/>Eggsy has not even completed his Kingsman training yet, when Harry tells him he'll have to go undercover with the Kray Twins, known gangsters who terrorize London. Eggsy is hesitant when he discovers it is a honeypot mission. As his undercover persona Teddy Smith, he will have to seduce Ronnie Kray, the younger and more crazy twin. As the mission continues, he has to face his own prejudices towards homosexuality (as it turns out, Ronnie is a badass), develops feelings for him, and discovers that maybe, just maybe, Harry Hart isn't just a mentor to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The mission

**Author's Note:**

> The Kray Twins were real people. Some things are inspired by real events, and since the movie isn't out yet, I cannot guarantee that there will be no spoilers! Also, because I obviously haven't seen the movie yet, some things might retrospectively seem out of character. My apologies for that.  
> Even though it is 1968, the Kingsman tech is pretty much the same as it is now. Let's just say Merlin is very good at what he does.  
> This is my first fic, so if there are issues with the tags, warnings, or there is something else you want to tell me, please do! Feedback is always appreciated! I hope you enjoy!

“He isn’t going to like this,” Merlin said, with a hint of concern in his voice. 

“No,” Harry agreed. “But he will do it anyway.” He heaved a sigh and rubbed his eyes behind the Kingsman-issued glasses. “So, I suppose I am the one who will have to tell him?” he asked, even though he knew the answer. The boy wasn’t a Kingsman yet, just one of the reasons Harry did not fully agree with this idea, even if he agreed it was their only shot. It also meant that he, as the boys mentor, was responsible if something should happen, about the odds of which he desperately tried not to think. 

Merlin hummed in agreement, and shot him one last apologetic look. Then he turned his attention back on the maps in front of him, pretending to study them. Or maybe he really was. Even after having known the man for almost twenty-six years, it was still impossible for Harry to read his friend if he did not want him to. Harry left the office with a heavy feeling in his chest. Merlin was right, Eggsy would not like it. But neither did Harry. 

****

“A mission?” Eggsy sounded happy, although also a bit puzzled. “But I’m not a Kingsman, I ain’t even done with training yet.” His eyes narrowed. “Wait, does this mean I AM the next Lancelot?” he did not sound thrilled at the idea, undoubtedly feeling betrayed on his fellow recruits behalf. Always a fair player this one was. Harry held back another sigh. “It does not mean you are the next Lancelot. However, it is a very good opportunity for you to show us what you got.” Also a good opportunity to end up on the bottom of the Thames with a block of concrete around your ankles. He pushed away the thought. “You know some of the more… traditional agents had their doubts about me choosing you.” It wasn’t fair to say this, and he bloody knew it. All reservations Eggsy would have had, from doubting the fairness of this offer to having doubts about his capabilities, went straight out the window. Just like Harry knew they would. It did not feel right to play the boy like this, to manipulate him into something he might not be ready for, but he had talked to Merlin about this at length, hell, had argued with him for days about the dangers, the importance, the other possibilities they had. Only to end up with the conclusions that, yes, it was dangerous, and yes, it was important, and no, there was no other choice. Eggsy’s jaw set in the manner that Harry had seen Lee’s jaw set countless times, always when faced with the same kind of prejudices and doubts that his son was faced with now. “I’ll do it,” Eggsy said stubbornly. “So, what’s the mission?”

****

“You got to be fucking shitting me!” 

Harry tried not to cringe at the language, after all the boy had every reason to be angry. This was a bad idea, it had been from the start, and maybe it had been unfair of Harry and Merlin to lure the young man in with the promise of a mission –of adventure- and only spill the more… peculiar details after the boy had already given his consent. Speaking of which… “You can change your mind,” Harry said hastily. “Obviously, since you are not a Kingsman yet, you are under no obligation to go on any mission, and refusing to do so will not reflect badly on you. This will not be taken into consideration when determining the position of Lancelot. We can both pretend this conversation never took place. In fact, I urge you to do so, since talking about this could jeopardize the mission to come, as soon as we find another way to-“ Eggsy lifted a hand to stop his rambling, and Harry trailed off, secretly grateful for the interruption. 

“I ain’t saying I ain’t doin’ it,” Eggsy grumbled. “I’m just sayin’ you could’ve maybe mentioned that detail somewhere within the first fifteen minutes of the mission briefing instead of,” he glanced down at his watch “forty minutes in.” 

“I’m sorry,” Harry said sincerely. He really was. He was sorry for even bringing this up, he was sorry for bringing the boy in this position, he was s- 

“I’ll still do it,”. 

The words came out confidently, but the younger man was not meeting his eyes, and Harry could tell there was more to follow, so he kept quiet, only nodding exaggeratedly, so Eggsy would see it from his peripheral vision. Eggsy ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up, and scratched absentmindedly at his knee. “I’ll do it,” he repeated slowly, seemingly gathering his thoughts as he spoke, “but I do want to set a few demands.” He glanced sharply up at Harry, and he knew that not meeting those demands would mean the end of the mission before it even started, so he just nodded weakly and hoped the demands were reasonable. No I-want-a-brand-new-Aston-Martin or But-I-won’t-wear-my-glasses kind of things. Eggsy was still looking at him, his eyes moving slightly from left to right as if reading an imaginary newspaper, which –Harry knew- meant he was concentrating on making what he was about to say sound polite. Harry appreciated the effort, the boy’s creative use of the English language was not something he was overly fond of, but he also knew it would be much harder to object to well-worded demands than to what would essentially be a string of swearwords with some vague suggestions thrown in. He waited patiently, not wanting to rush his recruit. 

“First of all,” Eggsy started, “I want to know why I was chosen for this. Why not Charlie, or one of them other Oxbridge guys. Secondly, if I die, I want me mum and sis to get a full Kingsman salary for at least five years. Thirdly, I ain’t gonna wear the glasses-“ apparently Harry had opened his mouth to object, because Eggsy shushed him with a look and continued talking without missing a beat “because these guys aren’t idiots, and because if I’m gonna have some guy take me up the ass, I’d rather not Merlin or you is watchin’ it.” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked defiantly at his mentor. Unfortunately, Harry had to admit to himself that the demands were fairly reasonable. He had known Eggsy would want some kind of security for his family, after all, he was the only thing they had. Why him, was also pretty obvious question. Only the glasses-thing, he did not agree with. But they would have to talk about that later. 

“Don’t worry about the money, if something were to happen to you,” he could not –the way Eggsy had done- get himself to bluntly say ‘if you were to die’, “your mother and sister will be well taken care of. You were chosen out of the male recruits for various reasons. The first reason is a matter of profile. The crowd these man run with, would be very suspicious to suddenly see an obviously very educated and posh man walk into their business. Your upbringing is, as it were, your cover for this mission. Furthermore, you are street smart, which is always a good thing, and you have the improvisation skills that are needed with undercover work. You know what kind of trouble a wrong word or a wrong look can get you into, which means the odds of you making a mistake are considerably smaller than would be the case with the other boys.” Eggsy nodded at that absentmindedly, his thoughts immediately running to Dean, and how he had always had to be careful around the man, as to not have him focus his knack for violence on Eggsy. 

Harry continued, and seemed a bit embarrassed at what he was about to say, if the faint blush on his cheeks was any indication. “Last of all, the reason we chose you is because Ronnie Kray seems to have a type. And you look the part.” Eggsy did not know whether or not he should be flattered knowing that a sociopathic, ridiculously powerful known gangster, would consider him to be hot. 

“Now, the glasses-thing is not an easily resolved matter. I suggest you talk to Merlin about it.” 

Eggsy pursed his lips at that and nodded sharply. “Will do, guv,” he said, turned on his heels, and stalked out of Harry’s office.

****

Harry leaned back on his comfortable chair and rubbed his forehead. That went reasonably well, although it had done nothing to calm his own nerves about this whole operation. He frowned at the thought of the unavoidable scolding Merlin was going to give him for letting Merlin deal with Eggsy’s aversion for wearing the glasses. If he was being honest with himself, the reason he had sent Eggsy to Merlin to sort this out, was because Merlin was less likely to give in than Harry was. And this was a matter of safety, so he could not afford being a pushover on this. “Sorry Merlin,” he said softly. Then he pulled the stacks of paper on his desk closer; he had a lot of paperwork to catch up on.

****

“Hello Eggsy, come in,” Merlin said sarcastically as Eggsy sat down across from him. The boy ignored the aside, not in the mood to deal with irrelevant bullshit like knocking or asking to be seated. 

“Harry said I should talk to you,” he mumbled, avoiding the man’s gaze. 

So the mission was on then. Partly relieved, and partly worried –though he tried to push that feeling aside- Merlin extended his hand. Eggsy looked at it confused, but took it anyway. 

“Welcome aboard your first real mission, Erec” Merlin said with a smile, sounding like a proud father who just made his son partner in his law firm. That got a grin out of Eggsy. 

“I get a codename?” he asked, sounding every bit as excited as he should. 

“Yes,” Merlin confirmed. “Now, I’m sure Galahad has briefed you on this mission, but being the one who is actually going to be overseeing everything, I find it wise to do so as well. Just in case Galahad left something out.”

Eggsy’s enthusiasm seemed to wane at that, but he nodded anyway. 

“Our primary targets,” Merlin said, flipping over a whiteboard to reveal various black-and-white pictures of two almost identical looking men. “The Kray twins. Ronald,” he pointed at the two pictures on the left, a side view and portrait picture of a man in his mid-thirties, with a nice suit and a pair of glasses with a thick rim on the top, “and Reginald,” he moved his hand towards the pictures of the other man, the same expensive looking suit, the same facial features, though without glasses and with slightly more tousled hair. And, Eggsy observed, wearing a black tie instead of the white one his brother wore in his pictures. Although Harry had told him the twins were thirty-five years old, he hadn’t had any pictures to show him, and Eggsy noted with relief that they were not too bad looking. Sure, the one with the glasses looked every bit the sociopathic killer Harry had described him to be, but he had a strong jawline, thick, dark hair, and the glasses actually gave him a sophisticated look, even more so than the suit. “Collectively, they are known to ‘own London’, in their own humble words. Unfortunately, they are quite right about it as well: they control the narcotics market, many businesses own them ‘protection money’, and they are not men you would want to cross. Sadly this also means they have half the police force on their payroll. And that is where we come in. As you know, Kingsman normally does not interfere in narcotics. However, we have word that they are looking to expand their empire to not only entail drugs, but also firearms. And if there is one thing I can do without, it is more guns in London. So, due to this new development, and the incompetence of the police force, we have decided to put a stop to their transportation lines. The only problem is, we have no idea where they are.” Merlin looked oddly disappointed at that, as if he had expected better of himself. “No policeman in whole of London would like to have to stake out the respective houses of the Krays, which is why it simply does not happen. The same is true for the bar they own, The Regal, a former snooker hall. Our plan is to find out where the weapons come from, where they are being held while in London, and who buys them. Once we know who the buyers are, so where the weapons are going, the police can deal with retrieving them. You, in the meantime, need to collect evidence of the illegal doings of the Twins. We are not only after stopping them now, we are after stopping them forever. A foolproof court case is our only shot at this. Do you understand, Eggsy? They need to go away for life. If they don’t…” he hesitated. “Well, if they don’t, it would complicate things greatly.” 

Eggsy did not like the sound of that, although it made sense to him. People like this did not just forget. Were they to get out of prison within ten, twenty or even thirty years, they would surely come after him, no matter how different he looked then. 

“What about the others? The people who work for the Krays?”

Merlin glanced over at the board, where a few smaller pictures of various men and one woman were pinned next to the mugshots of the Krays. “We are working with the assumption that their loyalty is bought. They will probably turn on their former bosses the minute those bosses are in custody. Also, some only work for them out of fear. Surely they will be willing to testify if we promise them protection.” He paused. “Except her.” He pointed at the only women on the board. She looked young, not older than Eggsy, and had an innocent sweetness about her that only came with youth. “Frances Shea. Reginald’s wife. We have no reason to believe she has anything to do with her husband’s business.” He paused again. 

“What does she see in him?” Eggsy wondered out loud.

Merlin turned to look at him. “We do not chose who we love,” he said earnestly, before turning back to the board.

The words kept echoing in Eggsy’s mind. He wished they didn’t hit home the way they did.

“Did Harry tell you your alias?” Merlin asked, accidentally changing the subject.

“We were just getting to that when he casually let it slip this would be a honeypot mission, so no, that is kind of where the conversation halted”, Eggsy grumbled.

Merlin looked at him amusedly. “Very well, then I have the honor to tell you your persona. You will be going undercover as Edward Smith, son of a working family, who ended up on the wrong path, has exceptional skills at killing, and is-“ 

“A poof,” Eggsy mumbled, interrupting the older man. 

“A homosexual, yes,” Merlin said wearily. “We have found out, from the little information we have, that Ronnie Kray-“

Eggsy interrupted him again. “Is a big ol’ poof, and likes them younger boys, I know. Harry said as much. And apparently I’m exactly his type.” He still was not sure what to think about that.

“A honeypot mission indeed,” Merlin continued. If he was annoyed at the constant interruption, he did not show it. But then again, he rarely was anything other than slightly annoyed or slightly amused. “It would not at all be unbelievable for you to end up in the bar I mentioned earlier, the one owned by the Krays. Now, once you are there, and Ronnie Kray is there as well –please memorize both their faces on a molecular level so you know who is who, he might not always wear his glasses – you need to get his attention somehow. From analyzing his former lovers, it appears that his type is not only young, handsome, and a criminal, but also somewhat disturbed.”

“Batshit crazy, like him,” Eggsy said under his breath.

“Exactly. So the best way to get his attention, is probably ending up in some sort of fight…. And hopefully winning,” he added, almost as an afterthought. “But with your Kingsman training that should not be a problem.” 

Eggsy huffed. Easy peasy. Just stage a fight with some random person you know nothing about, and hope you do not end up with a knife in your jugular. There was absolutely no way this plan could fail. Absolutely no way. Nope. Foolproof plan. Not to mention that Merlin and Harry both just seemed to assume that this Ronnie guy would immediately fall arse over tits in love with this “Edward Smith”, and would tell him everything about his illegal weapon deals.

“Is there a problem, Eggsy?” Merlin asked casually. It annoyed Eggsy that he had so obviously worn his concerns on his face, but then again, this was the perfect opportunity to voice them.

“What if I’m not his type? What if he does not fall in love with me? And why would he just share all his secrets with me? And also, tiny fucking detail, homosexuality is fucking illegal in this country, so do you really think he is gonna walk up to me, say “Hello there love, I like the way you just cunt-punted that tosser over there, let’s go back to my place and fuck each other’s brains out while I tell you where I stash my guns - not a metaphor.”?” 

Merlin chuckled. The bastard actually chuckled. Eggsy looked at him with a mixture of annoyance and disbelief. Coming from Merlin, this was an almost unnatural sound.

“Well Eggsy, to address your concerns one by one, he does not need to fall in love with you. Sure, it would probably make things easier, but our main concern is getting you into his house at least once so you can hopefully snoop around a bit, even if it is just to confirm that the weapons are most likely not at his place. Him bedding you would be enough for that purpose – don’t pull that face, every agent has to sometimes take one for the team so to speak,” he chuckled again, probably at his own innuendo, “but even if he just takes you on as a part of his posse would be a really good start. So whether he takes you home as a lover or a bodyguard, just make sure you get there. As to the type thing, I think you might be underestimating yourself. Come on, not that look again, I have seen the way certain girls look at you. As to your last issue, the illegality of his preference, you are right. However, since this concerns the Krays, no police officer in his right mind would have him arrested for buggery,” 

“Ew, Merlin. Gross.”

“and no patron in the bar would be stupid enough to comment on anything alluding to his homosexuality. Just make sure you do not either.”

“Well, that’s fucking great innit? I gotta hit on ‘im, without making him think I think he is a poof. How the hell am I s’posed to to tha’? How, Merlin? I’d really fuckin’ like to know.” 

Merlin just shrugged. “You are a smart lad. You’ll figure it out. Now, obviously there will be an extraction team at the ready at all times, so if your glasses-feed shows anything indicating that you need help, you will be out of there within minutes. Guns blazing if need be.” 

Eggsy looked at him sheepishly. “That is actually what I came here to talk to you about. I’m not going to wear my glasses.” 

For a moment, it looked as if Merlin wasn’t sure whether he was joking or not. Then he very slowly raised an eyebrow. “Why the fuck not?” 

Eggsy was used to Merlin swearing – not quite Eggsy-levels of foul language, but it was not unusual either- but the way his accent got thicker indicated that the Scotsman was really fucking annoyed at him. 

“Because,” Eggsy said stubbornly, looking Merlin in the eyes, “I think this whole thing is invasive enough as it is, alright? I don’t need you all to look over my shoulder while I’m being fucked by some bloke. Also, I can’t imagine no one will notice that the glasses are not prescription, since I can’t very well wear them while reading AND while looking at shit a mile away.” 

Merlin pressed his lips together at that, then he tried to reason with the young not-quite-yet-an-agent. “You can put you glasses on the nightstand. Face down. Just make sure that if something goes awry, you move the glasses, so we can actually fucking see what’s going on. And you can take them off while reading. Slide them onto your hair, of hang them in the collar of your shirt, I don’t give a fuck. As long as we have eyes on you.” 

“No.” 

Merlin looked gobsmacked. “What?” he said, moving one hand to his ear. “I don’t think I understood that quite right.”

“No.” Eggsy repeated. “I will not wear my glasses there. What if you are sending me something, and someone decides to take away my glasses as a joke and puts them on? You and I both know it takes a few seconds for the transmission to stop, and those few seconds could be enough to get me KILLED. You understand that, Merlin? I will not have my life depend on a coincidence like that. Also, if they decide to off me, I doubt they will draw it out long enough for the extraction team to have a chance to come swoopin’ in.” 

Merlin seemed to mull this over in his head, his brow furrowed, his hands clenched. Eventually he sighed loudly. “You lot are going to be the end of me,” he murmured. “I will –PARTLY, mind you- agree to those terms. You WILL wear you glasses, but there will be no contact from our side. You will be able to contact us, anywhere, anytime. So when you find something interesting, you can let us know. When all goes to shit, you can let us know. And none of them will be any the wiser, no matter what happens to your glasses.” 

Eggsy nodded. “I can live with that.” 

Merlin walked away from the board and plopped down in his seat. “And now get the hell out of my office, I will have to find a way to make all of this actually possible.” 

Eggsy grinned at him and mockingly saluted him. 

Merlin rolled his eyes but did not say anything, not even when Eggsy walked out with an exaggerated swagger to his step and kicked the door shut with his heel.


	2. The Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last mission briefing before Eggsy leaves Kingsman.

“If anyone can pull this off, it’s him,” Merlin said matter-of-factly. 

Next to him, Harry shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I know Merlin, we have been over this. That still doesn’t mean I have to like it.” 

“I know Harry,” Merlin retorted dryly. “We have been over that as well.”

Harry said nothing at that. He just stared at the screen in front of him, where a red dot labelled ‘Eggsy’ was making his way around the training grounds, where Eggsy was currently running lap after lap. The speed was at a steady 18 km/h. Eggsy was fast when he wanted to be. 

“And you are sure the chip is undetectable?” he blurted out, before he could help himself. 

Merlin smirked at him. 

Harry ignored it. 

“Yes Harry, I’m quite sure. He walked through our own security gates with his glasses on, and they did not detect anything.” He looked at his friend earnestly now, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Our gates are top-notch, Harry. If they don’t pick it up, neither will whatever device the Krays might have. IF they have anything at all-“ 

“Which we don’t know because we know almost nothing about them!” said Harry, sounding as frustrated as Merlin had ever heard him. 

Merlin sighed. “What is it with you two and interrupting?” 

Harry did not grace that with a reply. 

“They won’t find anything. I have designed them for just that purpose.” Merlin squeezed his shoulder lightly, and finally let go of his friend’s shoulder. 

Harry was again following the dot with his eyes, as it became slower and slower. It was Eggsy’s last lap of today. “You are a scary man, Merlin. I would not want to find us at opposing sides.” 

“Thank you,” Merlin said without a hint of irony – and a more than disturbing amount of pride. 

“And we keep Eggsy in the dark?” Harry asked. Again. 

Merlin held back a sarcastic remark. He knew how difficult this was for Harry, sending his protégé out on a mission that would be dangerous for any Kingsman, and was doubly so for a recruit. Even a recruit of the –admittedly- exceptional quality Eggsy was. So he simply said “Yes” and tried to reassure his friend. Again. 

It had been two weeks since they had briefed Eggsy on their plan. Two weeks in which Eggsy’s training went on, as if nothing had changed since he got called into his mentors office one afternoon. He was not allowed to tell his fellow hopefuls about his mission, instead they would tell them he had dropped out. They would cite his concerns over his mother’s wellbeing, a believable excuse since he had talked about this to the others at length, especially Roxy. While it bothered Harry –and admittedly Merlin as well- that they would have to lie, it was the safest option they had. It only took one disgruntled former recruit to spill the beans about Eggsy to the wrong person, and he was as good as dead. 

As of this week, there were only three recruits left. Charlie had failed the parachute-test spectacularly, opening it immediately when they heard one would not have a parachute, and landing roughly 200 meter off the mark. Had it been a real mission, he would have been dead. Sadly that was not the case. 

Yes, they had been right to trust Eggsy with this, beyond the being-Ronnies-type-thing. After Merlin had dropped the bombshell, the other recruit had opened his parachute at a reasonable height, after having received Eggsy’s and Roxy’s OK. Roxy and Eggsy had held on to each other for dear life, Eggsy offering Roxy the chance to open hers first, assuring her that whatever would happen ‘I got you Roxy, I got you’. Merlin had heard the distress in his voice as he said it, but he also knew the boy had meant it. It was not just something he had said to sound noble under stress. When they had landed, the boy bolted over to Merlin, his face a heart-breaking mix of anger, disappointment, and something that said he had expected this from the start. As he spat curses at the man, asking if he was the expendable candidate, Merlin knew that Eggsy had not for one moment considered that there was no way in hell they would have risked him dying, not with the mission they were about to send him on. But that was a few days ago. Now only the train-test was left, which he knew Eggsy would ace, and the Shoot-the-dog-test, which he was not sure about. Of course, Eggsy trusted Harry, but he loved JB. 

Anyway, none of that mattered, because tonight the boy would be gone. Merlin wondered if Eggsy would be back in time for the dog test; it was only four weeks away. If not, he was putting his money on Roxy. The girl had balls, and more importantly, loyalty. She would make it through the train-test. The only other candidate, a blond boy from Oxford, could just as well pack his stuff right now and go home. Roxy had this covered. From the very beginning it had been clear to Merlin that Roxy and Eggsy would be the last ones standing. 

The red dot moved towards the main building. Merlin and Harry both tracked the dot with their eyes until Eggsy came dangerously close to Merlin’s office, then Merlin shut the window, and pretended to show Harry something on a map. It was just in time as well, Eggsy –not surprisingly- didn't bother to knock, instead opting to bolt straight through the door, sweaty and grinning. “G’morning fellas,” he said cheerfully. Harry wondered if it was the nerves. Today Eggsy was supposed to have his change of heart about Kingsman. He would pack his bags this evening. This gave them one last opportunity to talk the plan through. After this, the boy was on his own. Well, at least he would think he was. 

“Morning, Eggsy” Merlin said. 

Harry mumbled something unintelligible. 

Eggsy plopped down on the third chair that Merlin had dragged towards the screens for this very purpose. They went over the maps one last time, showing the boy where the emergency exits were in The Regal, just in case, and testing the manual function of the glasses one last time. Eggsy simply had to tap the right side of his glasses twice for transmission to start. Double-tapping it again ended the transmission. Merlin would be able to see what Eggsy saw in real-time, although it was without sound. What Eggsy did not know, was that they would be able to see where he was at any given moment. It was the only safety measure they had been able to provide him with, and one they could not tell him. Eggsy would see it as distrust, and he would be very displeased to find out his mentor and Merlin had foregone his concerns about traceable tech. When everything worked to Merlin’s satisfaction, and Eggsy proved again he had excellent recollection of maps and pictures, Merlin extended his hand to the boy, which he shook with a wide grin. 

“Good luck with your mission, Erec. I’m sure you will do great.” He meant it, and he hoped it came across. Then he nodded at Harry and left them alone. He was sure they had some things to discuss mentor-to-student. 

****

As Merlin closed the door behind him, Harry turned to the young man who was fidgeting in his chair. He put a hand on the boys shoulder, who beamed at him. 

“My first mission eh? Can’t fuckin’ believe it,” he grinned. 

Harry tried to muster a smile. “I can,” he said. “Like Merlin, I’m sure you will be fine.” He paused at that, and took his hand off Eggsy’s shoulder. There was a lot he wanted to say, but his mouth felt dry and his head felt empty. “Just remember, if anything goes wrong, you can contact us.” Eggsy nodded.

Harry swallowed with difficulty, cursing his dry mouth and his inability to say what was on his mind. “I won’t let JB get fat,” he said, in an attempt at a joke to calm his own nerves. Eggsy laughed. This had been the only thing the boy had been very incessant about; that JB was taken care off. Harry had volunteered to take JB on for as long as Eggsy was away. He quite liked the thought of having a dog again. It had been too long since Mr Pickle. Eggsy had been happy to hear it, but had bombarded him with warnings, all of which Harry had patiently dismissed.

“Don’t let him get fat,” - “I’ll try”. 

“Don’t let him eat shoelaces,” - “I’m not making any promises”

“I don’t want him dryhumping Mr Pickle. Can dogs get STD’s from dead dogs?”  
“I can assure you that I don’t like the thought of JB sexually assaulting my dead dog, but rest assured; Mr Pickle is a bit too high up for JB to reach with his stubby little legs.”  
“Are you insulting my dog?” Eggsy had asked with a frown. Harry had smirked at him. “Just stating a fact.”

Harry said some more things, empty platitudes, tips about safety and such, stuff Eggsy already knew since they had been over this as often as they could in the last few days. He trailed off. He had said everything. Everything he would allow himself to say. “Any questions?”  
Eggsy nodded, seemingly lost in thought. “Have you ever done a honeypot mission? I mean, of course you have, you have been a Kingsman for ages, but like… any tips?” 

Harry did his best to flash a reassuring smile. “The only advise I have is: try not to fall in love.” 

Eggsy laughed, and it was as if that laugh pulled all worries out of the boy. “Don’t worry bruv, that won’t be a bloody problem,” he snorted. “A ladies man, me.” He grinned at his mentor again, the typical, charming Eggsy-grin. Then he got up from his chair, suddenly serious, looked down at Harry and said “Well, I guess I have to get back before Roxy gets suspicious. I’ll see you later then? For our little act?” 

Eggsy was right. Harry nodded and got up as well, shaking the boys hand in a the same formal welcome-to-your-fist-mission gesture Merlin had. “I’ll see you at exactly 8.15.” he hesitated, but could not keep himself from saying it one last time: “Good luck. Be careful.” 

“Sure thing, bruv,” Eggsy said, winked at his mentor, and closed the door quietly behind him. 

****

When Harry walked into the sleeping quarters of the recruits at exactly 8.15, he found Eggsy looking distressed. There were tears on his cheeks and in his eyes, his hair had been mussed up from nervously running his hand through it, and he was standing hunched over a partly-packed suitcase, stuffing clothes into them without bothering folding them. Roxy was talking to him intensely in hushed tones, only looking up at Harry when he was just a few steps away from them. 

“What is going on? Eggsy, are you alright?” he asked. 

Eggsy looked up, startled –or at least pretending to be, Harry was not sure- and wiped at the tears on his face. “’m leaving,” he mumbled, avoiding eye contact. JB made a soft sound at his feet, wagging his tail slowly, as if he wasn’t sure what to do either. 

Roxy made a helpless gesture, something that said ‘talk to him, please!’. 

“Eggsy,” Harry said carefully, “Are you nervous about the next test, because-“ 

“No!” Eggsy shouted. He looked at his mentor and he looked absolutely pissed and distressed. “It ain’t fucking nerves ‘Arry, you know tha’, it’s me mum!” He stuffed his last shirt into the suitcase, slammed it shut, and put his weight on the top to try and close it. “She can’t lose me as well alright, and I been talkin’ to ‘er about this a lot and I just… I can’t fuckin’ do this to her, man!” A loud sob escaped from him, and he slammed one hand in front of his mouth as if to keep the next sobs in. His breathing was ragged and his fingers were shaking as he still tried to push the overstuffed suitcase shut. He kneeled on the top, squishing the contents, and began closing the zipper, not caring when a shirt got caught between the zipper and just pushed it in, where a loud ripping sound indicated that he had just ruined it. He made a frustrated sound as he moved the zipper from side to side until it rolled over the part where it got caught, finally closing it fully, and grabbed the case by the handle. 

“Eggsy,” Harry said softly, “Is there anything I can do to change your mind? Talk to your mum?” 

Eggsy gaped at him open-mouthed for a few moments, then a disbelieving laugh bellowed out of him. “You of all people wanna get me mum to change ‘er mind? You, who told ‘er ‘er ‘usbands died? Yeah, ‘m sure it’s gonna be a right success! ‘Well ma’am, I know yer ‘usbands died in this line o’ work, but worry not! I’m sure yer son is gonna be just fine!’ Do you really wanna do that Harry? Just leave me and me family the fuck alone!” And with these words he grabbed JB and stormed out of the room, his suitcase topping over and being dragged along on its side instead of the wheels. Harry realized he was blinking back tears, and quickly did his best to regain his composure. He wondered how much of what Eggsy had just said was just him really selling his part, and how much was pent up anger that had been accumulating for seventeen years towards the man who had told him that his father died. 

“He’s,” Roxy started, but Harry interrupted her. 

“He has made his choice.” 

She looked at him as if she could not quite believe what she was hearing. “You’re just going to let him go?” 

“Yes!” he snapped. “We do not keep recruits against their will, miss Roxanne! And now I suggest you go to bed, training will commence as ever in the morning.” With a stern nod towards her, and the blond Oxford boy (Harry did not even remember his name, he had been so invisible during training, even though he made it this far) who he had not even bothered to acknowledge earlier, and strode out of the room.

****

Back in his office, Harry was greeted by JB, who had been discreetly handed over from Eggsy to Merlin just outside the building. The man himself was waiting by Harry’s desk with a bottle of scotch. That is real friendship, Harry thought, as he slumped down on the chair. 

“So, I take it it went well?” Merlin said dryly and pushed a glass full of the amber liquid towards Harry. 

“A bit too well,” sighed Harry, and took a swig. He picked up JB and absentmindedly scratched his ears. The pug panted in that special way that indicated he was enjoying it.

“No such thing as too well,” said Merlin, and shot his friend a probing look. “Is there?” 

“I suppose you are right,” said Harry, even though he was not sure he meant it. Eggsy’s words and the look on his face as he said them, kept running through his mind, even long after he had gone home, JB carefully tucked away under his coat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always welcome! If you see a mistake, please let me know!  
> I hope you like it!
> 
> I have Tumblr: proudofmygeneration (dot) tumblr (dot) com  
> It's... a mess, honestly


	3. The Regal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eggsy visits the Regal, Harry is nervous, and Merlin has a lot of patience.

Eggsy did not like to admit it to himself, but he was nervous. Of course, he had known from the start that honeypot missions belonged to the realm of possibility being a Kingsman agent, but he had always imagined it would be with women. Quite naively perhaps, he had never even considered he would have to get flirty with a man. He didn’t like the thought, even though he knew that was not very professional. He had wanted to ask Harry the night before if he had ever needed to do this with someone of the same gender, but had chickened out. After all, it was none of his business. Also, it was not a conversation he could imagine having with his mentor. There were things one could ask Harry Hart, but “have you ever shagged a bloke” was not one of them. 

He was still a bit shaken up from his outburst towards his mentor, not sure if the sense of utter devastation in Harry’s eyes had been him acting exceptionally well, or if he had gone too far with the things he had said. Somehow he had not been able to stop himself from saying these horrible things, so caught up in the act they were trying to sell. If the look on Roxy’s face was any indication, they had played it well enough to be believable. 

But still. 

A bad feeling had followed him as he left, all the way from the Kingsman estate to the shabby little flat that had been arranged for him. It was one of the Kingsmans safe houses Merlin had said, but he could not imagine anyone but him would ever end up in this neighbourhood, full of run down council flats not unlike the one he grew up in, and boarded up shops.  
It had been decided he would not return to his mums flat. She did not need to know his Kingsman training was over. Most importantly, she did not need to know he was being sent on a mission before his training was even complete. As far as she was concerned he was still at the Kingsman estate, and as far as Roxy knew, he was at home. 

He took a tour of the small space. It was just one room really, kitchen, living room and bedroom in one, with a painfully small bathroom attached. In the small wardrobe hung some of his suits and casual clothes, in the drawers various weapons were neatly displayed.

He went into the bathroom again and tapped his glasses twice, like he had promised Merlin he would, and gave himself a thumbs up in the small mirror. A few seconds later, the phone on the wall next to the door started ringing. He picked up without saying anything, as he was instructed. Merlin’s voice came through, soft but clear “Received. Good luck Erec”.

Eggsy hung up, gave himself another thumbs up, and tapped the glasses again. Then he took a deep breath and looked around his new –temporary- place. He took his clothes off, and slipped into the covers of his bed. For the foreseeable future, it would be the last time he would go to bed as himself. 

Goodbye Eggsy Unwin.

Hello Edward Smith. 

****

When he woke up, the nervous feeling of the previous day had been replaced by a mixture of excitement and dread. He only had to be at The Regal in the evening. After all, it was unlikely that the Kray twins would be day-drinking while running their very lucrative business of extortion and weapon deals. So he got dressed, found out that the fridge and pantries were stacked, and ate some cereal. Then he pocketed his keys, grabbed the new (but made to look used) watch that Merlin had told him to use as Edward, and started to explore his new neighbourhood. 

It was strange, he thought, how familiar this neighbourhood seemed to him. He wondered if he could walk into the bad part of any random town and feel the same sense of belonging. Maybe it was a London thing. 

He memorized the streets surrounding his flat, took note of fire-escapes and empty houses, of broken up streets and of corners where traffic was thicker.  
When he started to feel hungry again, he returned to his home. His stomach churned unpleasantly while he ate, the nerves manifesting themselves in the form of nausea and a uncharacteristically lousy appetite. 

He wondered what Roxy would be doing right now. Training, of course. But would she think of him? He knew he would think of her the entire time if she was the one who had left quite abruptly. Hell, he would probably be cussing at Merlin right this second, demanding to know if they still had eyes on her, if she made it home safely, if she was okay. He did not spare a thought for the mousy other recruit. He was nice enough, he supposed, but so unnervingly quiet it made Eggsy feel a bit queasy. He knew Roxy would be the next Lancelot of he did not return in time. Probably even if he did. 

The next hours seemed to drag on and on. He kept glancing at his watch, lamenting the fact it was a normal one. Edward Smith was supposed to be poor, so he had had to leave behind the very expensive looking Kingsman watch. Sadly this meant he would go to the pub without his amnesia darts. He tried not to think about that too much.

When it was finally time to leave, Eggsy took a deep breath, and looked at himself in the mirror. He wore one of the cheaper looking suits, as to not raise suspicion. It was of the same bulletproof material as the more expensive looking ones, but somehow he felt less safe in it. He was not used to the bad cut anymore, the just a bit too short trousers, the slightly too wide shoulders. He shook his head at himself disapprovingly. 

“Get your shit together, Edward”. 

The name sounded strange on his lips. He looked at himself one last time, then he put his new ID-card, his keys and some money in his inner pocket, a gun in his shoulder holster, and closed the door behind him. 

****

The walk to The Regal was pleasant. The cool spring air helped clear his head and shake his nerves. There were many people on the street, normal for a Friday night. He walked confidently, knowing exactly which corners to turn to get to the pub fastest. When he saw the lettering of the corner pub, which he had only seen in photographs, he paused for a moment, taking in the environments. It was a good part of town. The rents had to be incredible high, though he supposed the Krays didn’t bother paying rent much. They probably had some deal going on that allowed them to afford this club at little to no cost. A deal that probably entailed not killing whoever sold this place to them, as long he didn’t expect them to pay up. He took a last look at the beautiful lettering of “The Regal” that was written above the big double doors. 

This was it then. 

Here it was about to happen. 

He took a deep breath, crossed the street, and pushed the door open. 

The inside of the pub looked expensive, all dark wood and dimmed lights. It reminded him of Harry’s house. Merlin had mentioned this place had been a snooker hall once, which would explain the three big snooker tables that were in the back of the pub. The patronage was well-dressed, almost exclusively white, male, and between twenty and fifty. Many were smoking. The few women were dressed to the nines, wore expensive jewellery, and pretty much looked exactly the way he expected gangsters wives to look: young and beautiful, with an air of sophistication that said they had never worked a day in their life.

A group of men was playing snooker at one of the tables. Some of them had taken off their suit jackets to have more freedom of movement. Two of them were wearing shoulder holsters with guns in them. It did not seem to faze anyone. 

Eggsy strolled towards the bar and waited until the barman noticed him. 

“What can I get you today, Sir?” the barman, who was also dressed in a very well-cut suit, asked. 

Eggsy glanced at the blackboard behind the bar, where the drinks and prices were listed. He would have to order something, but preferable not get drunk. If he was to fight someone, intoxication would not be working in his favour. 

“A Guinness, please,” he decided. 

The barman nodded, and poured him a pint from tap. Eggsy slid him the money and thanked him, then he picked up his glass and made his way over towards the middle of the pub, where the booths and standing tables were. He opted for a standing table, figuring it was safer to be standing if shit were to happen, than to be enclosed in a booth. 

He took a sip, set his glass down on the table, and looked around the pub. For anyone paying attention it would simply look as if he was checking out the patronage, when actually he was looking for two identical faces. Or rather, one of them. No sign of the twins. Yet. 

****

“He’s in the pub.” Harry said, sounding uncharacteristically tense, and leaned forward towards the monitor, as if getting a closer proximity would somehow show him more than simply the red dot labelled ‘Eggsy’ in the pub. “Yes,” Merlin said, having long given up on telling his friend that they were literally looking at the same thing.

Harry had been narrating Eggsy’s journey with the dedication of a mad man. 

“He is taking the shortest route.” 

“He stopped, why has he stopped. Oh, he was just waiting to cross the street.” 

“He is close now.” 

“The pub is right on that corner.” 

“He is about to go in.” 

It was maddening, but Merlin was used to putting up with agents’ bullshit. If he could survive listening to Percival giving him fifty reasons to blow up a house (the reason was, Merlin decided, shits and giggles, and he had forbidden it, to a very disgruntled sound from Percival’s end), he could survive Harry turning the visual feed into an audio feed.

“He will be okay,” Merlin said, trying not to heave a sigh. The truth was, while he did not at all doubt Eggsy’s abilities, there was something else that worried him. He knew this was probably not the right time to bring it up, but he did it anyway. “So, did Eggsy turn around on the whole homosexual-thing?” 

He understood the boys reluctance to do a mission like this, after all, honeypot missions were always a bit uncomfortable. But he knew it was not the act itself that had Eggsy so pissed off at first, but rather the gender of his target. He had picked up on Eggsy’s slight homophobia before, and thought nothing off it then. He was from a bad neighbourhood after all, and Merlin knew the kind of language that was used there, so Eggsy mumbling something about “a dog for poofs” when he found out JB’s breed had not bothered him too much. Also, Eggsy loved JB anyway, pint-sized and all. But in the last few days he had begun to wonder if this issue had more than just language to it. What if Eggsy genuinely was homophobic? What if his anger at finding out he was targeting a man had been about more than just unmet expectations?

“I think he understands,” Harry said, but he sounded rather alarmed. “Why, has he said anything about you?” He glanced over at Merlin for a split second, before focussing on the monitor again, where Eggsy’s dot had not moved in the last few minutes. 

“No, he has not. It was what he said to you. That not falling in love with his target would not prove to be a problem.”

Harry finally looked him in the eyes at that. “You heard that?” he asked, one eyebrow raised in disbelief. 

Merlin smirked. “You were in my office. I have SOME security measures in place.”

Harry scanned the place quickly with his eyes, giving up quickly. Yes, Merlin was that good. He looked back at Merlin. “So? That is good, isn’t it? Remember that time when the old Ector fell in love with that KGB-spy?”

Merlin shuddered. He remembered a little too well, thank you very much. Ector had not shared Eggsy’s hatred for being watched while having sex. Not at all. Which was why the image of his colleague balls-deep in his target was permanently etched into Merlin’s brain. When he closed his eyes he could still see them sometimes. 

“Ector was not in love with her. If anything he was in love with her tits,” he muttered. Not without reason, he had to admit. The girl had been quite a looker. True as that may be, he had still seen more of her than he had ever hoped he would. “Point taken,” he said. “It just seemed a bit… he has to sell this, you know? He can’t afford to raise suspicion with someone like Ronnie Kray. If he hesitates…” He did not finish that sentence, because he really did not want to finish the thought either. 

Harry shifted a little in his chair. “I thought we had established that even Eggsy just getting access to the house in the capacity of a bodyguard, or petty thief, or whatever else is convenient, would be enough.”

“That is true, but it would be better if-“

“I know. We’ll see, alright?”

Harry sounded agitated, so Merlin decided to leave it at that. One of these days they would have to have a serious conversation about interrupting. For now, they just watched the monitor in silence, where Eggsy’s dot had been in the pub for almost half an hour. 

****

He was getting bored. For some time it had been quite entertaining to check out the men and women in the pub, determining which ones were armed and whose pockets he could easily pick. A force of habit, he couldn’t help it.  
But now there was nothing left to do. He had almost finished his drink, but was reluctant to order another one. Drinking was not his prime objective here, but just standing here for a long time with less than half an inch of beer left would raise suspicion. Fuck it. He downed the rest of his drink, deciding he would just have to go easy on his next one, and took a step back, colliding rather hard with someone passing behind him. “Hey, watch it!” the man yelled, but it was too late. Eggsy felt a cold liquid run down the back of his collar, and there was the sound of several glasses breaking. “I’m sorry,” he said, turning to face the man who had dropped his drinks and was now looking at Eggsy furiously. “I will-“ 

“You will pay for that!”

Eggsy knew better than to say he was just about to offer that very thing, instead trying to look even more apologetic. 

As the man clenched his fist and swung his arm back, it occurred to Eggsy that he man had not, in fact, meant that Eggsy would give him money for his spilled drinks. He wanted him to ‘pay’ the old-fashioned way. 

Eggsy moved to the side, just in time to avoid a collision between the man’s fist and his face. He grabbed the man’s outstretched arm with his left hand, turned his entire body to meet the man’s body, and put his right hand around the man’s back. He leaned forward and threw the man –accelerated by his own swing- over his shoulder. The man landed on his back, and Eggsy threw himself onto him, pinning his arms down with his knees, holding his own arms up as if surrendering. 

“Look man, I’m really sorry, I will pay you back-“ 

The man, who had for a moment been too stunned to react to being defeated so easily, made an almost animalistic sound. 

“You little-“ He struggled to break free, actually succeeding in freeing one hand and punching Eggsy in the side. Not very hard, but still. It was enough to make Eggsy stop caring about hurting a civilian. And anyway, he could feel a shoulder holster press against his knee. He’d rather not give the man the chance to grab his weapon. Eggsy punched the man in the face with his right fist, immediately breaking his nose. 

Blood ran down the man’s face, but despite that he kept trying to get punches in. Eggsy grabbed the man’s free hand with both hands and broke his wrist with a gut churning crunchy sound, before again pinning the limp hand down with his knee. 

The man was violently coughing up the blood that ran down his throat from his broken nose now. The blood came out in a spray of small droplets, all over Eggsy’s legs and the front of his suit. Eggsy reached into the man’s jacket and pulled out his gun. He quickly patted down the other side of the man’s chest as well, just to be sure there wasn’t another weapon hidden somewhere, took the safety off the handgun with an audible ‘click’ and pointed it right at the man’s face. 

“I will get up now,” he said, sounding calm despite being a little out of breath, “And so will you. And then you will leave.” 

He put all his weight on the man’s uninjured arm as he pulled his other knee up to get his foot on the floor. Then he pushed himself up on both feet, all the while pointing his gun at the man. He took a few slow steps back. 

The man scrambled to his feet and walked away, while trying in vain to stop his nosebleed. 

Relieved, Eggsy put the safety back on and put the gun – his gun now- in the waistband of his suit. 

“That was my colleague you beat up,” a voice said behind him. It sounded angry but also terrifyingly calm, the words coming out in a drawn out, seemingly bored, drawl. 

Eggsy clenched his fists, ready to fight whoever it was who had spoken. He turned around, and looked straight into the very angry face of Ronnie Kray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your lovely comments! They are certainly very encouraging for a first-time writer, so thanks a lot! I hope you are enjoying this fic so far!


	4. The first Kray

For a moment he forgot how to breathe.

There he was, Ronnie Kray, just standing right in front of him, looking even more fucking crazy than he’d looked in the mugshots.

Was his heartbeat always this noticeable? Could he always hear his own breathing? Was it normal that he was aware of every time he blinked?

Eggsy was aware that he was staring, but didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know what to do. He was fucking paralysed. 

So much for staying calm in the face of danger.

Fucking hell. 

“I’ll have that gun back, now,” Kray said calmly, extending his hand and wiggling his fingers in a demanding gesture. He was shorter than Eggsy had expected from the photographs, roughly one inch shorter than Eggsy, but looked strong as a bull. His hair was slicked back, and he was wearing the same glasses he had worn in the pictures, with a thick, black rim at the top of the lenses. He was wearing a beautiful black suit with a crimson tie over a crisp white collared shirt. He had the thick neck and broad shoulders of a boxer. Even with the suit on it was obvious he was very muscular. And he wasn’t happy. Not at all. 

Eggsy stared at him with a dry mouth. He was done for. This was it then. The moment he handed over the gun, Kray would shoot him.

Shot on his first mission. His mum would lose him, and he was not even a bloody Kingsman yet.

“Come on, I’m not gonna keep buying them new guns,” Kray said, giving Eggsy a very unimpressed look, and repeating the gesture impatiently. 

Eggsy reached behind his back to retrieve the gun from his waistband, calculating the odds he would walk out of here alive if he would just sod the mission and shoot the Kray-twin right in the face. 

The odds, of course, were zero.

Behind Ronnie Kray, three men had approached and were standing by. None of them had a gun in their hand, but all of them had a hand close to their hip or partly tucked into their suit jackets. In other words, all of them were armed. 

He was fucked. So thoroughly fucked.

“Okay,” Eggsy said, with his free hand in the air, this time in an honest-to-God surrender. Making his movements deliberately slow, he pulled the gun out between thumb and index finger –just so nobody could make the mistake of thinking he would fire it- and pointed it at the floor. Then he took the bullets out and slipped them into the pocket of his trousers. He gently laid the empty gun down in Kray’s open hand. 

The man smiled, a terrifying sight in its unreadableness. He gave the gun to one of his by-standers, and stared at Eggsy, just fucking STARED at him, God damn it. 

Eggsy did his best not to shrink under his scrutinizing look, cursing the irony of the situation. In getting into a fight, he had done EXACTLY what he was supposed to, and still it was gonna be the thing that was gonna fucking end his life. He should have fucking known that the odds of him accidently fighting a friend of the Krays were pretty damn high. They owned the goddamn club after all. Half the people in here were probably on their payroll. 

He tried not to let his fear show as he stared back at Ronnie. Edward Smith was supposedly a crazy motherfucker, so staring death in the eyes was probably a normal occurrence for him. A typical Friday so to speak. 

“Smart,” was all Ronnie said. 

Eggsy wasn’t sure it was admiration in his voice, or a threat. Very smart to take the bullets out, it will take me three seconds longer to kill you. That sort of thing. He didn’t think that saying something right now was the best course of action, so he kept quiet and just hoped he seemed confident and just that little bit crazy enough to make Ronnie want him on his team, in whatever capacity. Or to at least not want to shoot him on the spot. Whatever worked. He really couldn’t be choosey right now.

Ronnie still hadn’t averted his gaze, so neither did Eggsy. He simply looked back, trying to look as calm as possible, while on the inside he felt like everything was falling apart. 

Being calm after a fight WAS crazy, right? However, judging by the way chatter had resumed right after the other man had left, people getting into fights was not a strange sight in this establishment. 

Ronnie took a step forward, crushing the shattered glass under his feet. “Those drinks were meant for my mates and me,” he said flatly. 

Eggsy looked at him in what he hoped was an unfazed way. Flinching at the man taking a step towards him was the surest way to totally destroy the not-afraid-of-anything/cold-blooded-killer narrative he was trying to portray. 

“I apologize,” he said, glad that his voice sounded steady, even a little bored. “I will replace them.” He motioned towards the bar.

“After you,” Ronnie said, narrowing his eyes a bit, and Eggsy –against all his instincts- turned around and made his way to the bar, all too aware of the heavy footsteps that followed him. He did not like having his back turned on an enemy, especially one that had a lot of back-up, and very little inhibitions about killing. 

He was glad when he could finally lean against the bar, afraid his legs would give out at any moment. Ronnie sat down on a barstool next to him, as Eggsy waited for the barman to notice him. 

Ronnie, apparently, did not share his patience. He drummed his fingers on the bar impatiently and yelled “Barkeep!” loud enough to startle the man, who then approached with a wide smile. “Good evening Mr Kray. What can I get-“ 

“Two beers. And sent a round to my friends over there.” He pointed somewhere behind himself with his thumb. The others hadn’t followed them then. Kray had probably motioned for them to stay behind when Eggsy had his back to them, though there was no doubt in Eggsy’s mind they would be watching, ready to step in whenever Ronnie wanted. 

“Very well, Sir.” The barman said, and started tapping. He set two glasses of Guinness down in front of them with a polite smile, and begun tapping the other beers. 

Ronnie turned to Eggsy, the same unimpressed look on his face, but with some curiosity mixed in. “I haven’t seen you here before,” he said. 

Eggsy took a sip of his beer, getting his story straight. “It is my first time.” He confirmed. “I just moved into the neighbourhood.” 

“Where are you from?” 

Eggsy told him the name of the neighbourhood Edward Smith supposedly came from. The location had been carefully handpicked by Merlin and Harry, making sure it was a neighbourhood where the Krays had never lived, so there wouldn’t be any questions Eggsy wouldn’t know the answer to. “Not the best part of town,” Eggsy said, motioning to his own suit, and Ronnie’s much more beautiful one. 

“Is that where you learned to fight?” Ronnie asked, ignoring the gesture. 

Eggsy nodded. He wondered where this was going. Ronnie was being awfully polite. He didn’t know exactly how he had expected their meeting to go, but he sure as hell hadn’t expected that he would be drinking beer and talking about life, mere minutes after beating the crap out of one of Ronnie’s colleagues. 

Ronnie was tapping his lips absentmindedly. “Are you as good with guns as you are with close-quarters combat?” he asked all of a sudden. 

What. The. Fuck? 

Eggsy grinned. “Even better. Why get too close if you can handle shit from afar, right?” he winked, hoping the gesture would not be misinterpreted. 

To his relief, Ronnie just smirked back at him. “Exactly. And you would not let someone half your size steal your gun and break your nose, am I right?” His eyes had that weird glow of insanity in them, and he leaned forward a bit. This time, it didn’t faze Eggsy. He liked where this was going.

“I think I can hold on to my weapons,” he said, sounding a bit condescending, looking towards the exit as if he could see the man with the broken nose leave all over again.

“Good.” Ronnie said. “I might have a job for you, if you’re interested. Can you drive a car?” 

Eggsy grinned, a spur of excitement running through his entire body. Boy, could he ever. “I can,” he said. 

Ronnie stood up, his beer in hand. “Come here tomorrow at six. We will discuss matters in more detail then.” 

Eggsy reached into his jacket for his wallet. Ronnie pushed his hand back. “No need to pay.” 

To Eggsy’s confused look, he gestured around himself, not without pride. “I own this club.” He extended his hand, and Eggsy shook it. “Ronnie Kray.” 

“Edward Smith.” 

“A pleasure meeting you, Edward. Tomorrow. Six. Don’t be late.” And with these words Ronnie left him. 

Eggsy couldn’t help but smile as he took a gulp of his beer. This had gone a lot better than expected. Not only was he still alive, he also had the prospect of a job. It could be a onetime thing, of course. But it was a way in. Sure, all of this could very well be a trap. Maybe if he came here tomorrow, he would be met with a bullet to the brain. But for now, it looked rather good. He finished his beer and looked around the club once more. Ronnie was sitting in a booth with the three guys that had backed him up before, drinking and laughing. Eggsy straightened his suit jacket, and walked through the double doors. The outside air had gotten much colder since he walked in, but he didn’t mind at all.

****

The phone rang, startling Harry even though he had known it would. Eggsy had just arrived home after having been in the pub for barely an hour. 

Merlin rolled his eyes at him, and picked up. During Eggsy’s entire walk home, Harry had been stressing about… well… everything.

“He has just been there an hour, is that a good sign or a bad sign?” 

“He is walking home, that is good. Is he slower than before? Do you think he’s drunk? Do you think he’s wounded? Oh God, what if he is wounded?” 

“He has stopped! Merlin! He has stopped. What if he has collapsed? We need to send someone to- Oh, never mind. That was a red light, wasn’t it?” 

Merlin had put up with all of this without snapping and bashing Harry’s head in with the nearest object, which was why he took more than a little satisfaction out of being the one to pick up the phone first. He deliberately didn’t put it on speaker. “Hello Erec,” he said, ignoring Harry’s pleading look. “How did it go?”

“Evenin’ guv,” Eggsy said, sounding cheerful. Merlin could practically hear his grin. It must’ve gone well then. “Is ‘arry listenin’ in as well?” 

Merlin shot Harry a pointed look, and finally pressed the button. “He is,” he confirmed. 

“Aight, Harry.” 

“Good evening, Erec.” Harry said. 

If Merlin weren’t sitting close enough to see the slight tremble of his jaw, the way his body slumped down in relief at hearing Eggsy’s voice, he would have bought Harry’s act of being perfectly composed now that he knew Eggsy was safe. Alas, he had known the man for ages. It was his job to notice these things. 

“It went well, yeah. Really well actually. Some guy threw his beer all over me, and he was pissed! Like, Jesus, he was the one that should’ve watched out, I don’t have eyes in the back of me head, do I? Anyway, the guy was friends with the Kray’s apparently, and he was proper pissed, like yelling and shit.” 

Merlin raised an eyebrow, wondering how any of this could be summed up as ‘really well,’ but didn’t interrupt. Harry was staring at the phone intensely. 

“Anyway, he wanted to punch me in the face, and that is like, my money maker, you know? Like, if all else fails I can always fall back on being ridiculously good looking. It is like my insurance policy, ya know?” 

Merlin groaned, and rubbed his eyes. This was not Eggsy being drunk, just his normal cheeky self. It did have the positive effect of releasing some of Harry’s tension. A hint of a smile had crept up on his face at Eggsy’s comments, as if his ability to take the piss confirmed to Harry that he really was okay. 

Eggsy continued. “So I’m like ‘not gonna happen, bruv’, and I THROW him on the floor, right, and punch him in the fucking face. And there is blood everywhere, and he tried to be a cheeky cunt and still slap me, so I broke his wrist and he couldn’t really do anything about it, so I stole his gun and told him to get the fuck out. And he did.” Eggsy paused, probably for the dramatic effect. “And then Ronnie fucking Kray is standing behind me, saying, ‘ey cunt, that was me mate there. Go get us some drinks or ima throw you in the Thames!’… I might be paraphrasing there.” He laughed. “So no, it was actually really civil, you know. I just offered to pay for the shit that got spilled, and then he was asking me all this shite like where I’m from, and how come I am so awesome.” 

Merlin sighed. Again. This guy would be the death of him. 

“And then he’s like ‘meet me here tomorrow, I have a job for you. And P.S., can ya drive a car?’.” A roaring laughter came through the phone, a bit distorted due to how loud it was. 

Harry smiled at this, a proper smile, and Merlin knew why. He too had heard the story of Eggsy stealing some asshole’s car and doing a couple of donuts right in front of the guy. Eggsy knew how to drive a car, that was for sure. 

“Very good, Erec.” Harry said. “Any idea what kind of job?” 

“Nah,” Eggsy said. “He’s gonna tell me tomorrow. Is a good start though, innit?” He sounded proud, and he had every right to be. 

“It is,” Harry said. “Just be careful, okay? We know you will have to get involved in some criminal activity, but just try to stay out of it as much as possible without blowing your cover. Also, make sure to film as much of the illegal activities as possible. Remember, we need enough evidence to lock them up for life. Witnessing a murder would, as bad as that sounds, be quite perfect for us. Or even just them talking about it, really.” 

“Sure thing,” Eggsy said, sounding unbothered. “Well, I’ll be off then, yeah? I will let you know what the job is as soon as I find out.” 

“You do that, Erec. Now get some sleep.” Merlin said. 

“Alright, guv.” Eggsy said, and the wink was almost audible. “I’ll talk to you two later.”

“Goodnight, Erec,” Harry said. 

“Goodnight Galahad, Merlin.” He hung up.


	5. Second impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The calm before the storm....

It was nice, waking up with J.B’s back pressed against his cheek. It reminded Harry of a time when Mr Pickle was still alive, and would fall asleep draped over his chest, or in the crook of his arm. He quite liked having a dog again. 

J.B. farted in his sleep, waking himself up. The pug looked around himself confused, looking for the source of the noise.

So much for reminiscing.

Harry got up and opened a window, wondering what on earth Eggsy could have been feeding the dog to unearth such a poisonous smell from his bowels. 

J.B. followed him into the bathroom, and sat next to the toilet, watching as Harry took a shower and got dressed. He picked up the dog, and carried him downstairs, where he put some food in the bowl and laughed at the slobbering sounds the dog made, while he ate his own breakfast. Yes, despite the occasional rank smell, it was nice to have a dog again. 

****

“She’s doing well,” Merlin commented as he heard Harry’s footsteps come closer. 

Harry went to stand next to Merlin at the window, who was watching the other recruit absolutely get his arse handed to him by Roxy. She was doing well indeed. “The boy is Arthur’s candidate, right?” Harry asked.

“I’m glad you’re always so well informed when it comes to these things,” Merlin said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Yes he is. Do you even know his name?” 

Harry tried to remember, but it was entirely possible he had never known. 

“Galahad…” the name came out with a deep sigh. “Try to pay attention when I’m briefing you, alright? His name is Oliver.” 

“Not that it matters,” Harry said dryly. “We both know Roxy will be Lancelot.” 

Or Eggsy, if he makes it back in time. 

If he makes it back at all.

Roxy threw the boy on the ground and pinned him down. He struggled to break free, but she flipped him onto his belly, and held his hands behind his back, moving them higher and higher up his back, a move that was undoubtedly really painful. All of a sudden, she let go. By the way that the other recruit – Oliver apparently – did not try anything when he was free, it was obvious he had surrendered verbally. Roxy stood up, he rolled over to his back, and she helped him up. He was blushing, either from shame at being defeated, or simply because Roxy was a very pretty girl. 

Merlin made a note on his tablet. “Yes, we do.” he said. “But we will only know for sure after both tests have been carried out. The train-test is in six days by the way, as I’m sure you already knew.” 

Harry ignored the sarcastic tone. He had not known. Since Eggsy had left for his mission, everything to do with the other recruits and tests had barely been on his mind. His thoughts were occupied with concern over Eggsy. “He is meeting him again tonight,” he said absentmindedly. 

“Who is meeting who?” Merlin was, contrary to Harry, paying attention to Roxy, who was now showing Oliver how to avoid being defeated within ten seconds. 

“Eggsy. Is meeting Kray.” 

“Oh yes,” Merlin didn’t sound worried in the slightest. “I wonder what the job is.” 

“Me too,” Harry mumbled. It had been all he could think about, really. 

****

The day had been quite boring, if he was being honest. 

There simply wasn’t a whole lot to do in the tiny flat, and walking around the neighbourhood got boring really fast. He had tried occupying his mind by making up outlandish scenarios in his head about what the job could possibly be, ranging from kidnapping to mowing Kray’s lawn (wouldn’t that be a let-down), but he really had no idea what he would have to do. He’d just have to wait and see. 

When it was finally time to leave, he made sure he had quite some extra ammunition on him – you never knew right? Anything could happen. 

****

He arrived at The Regal five minutes early, not sure if he was supposed to wait outside or inside. With two minutes to spare, just as he decided he would go in, a car came to a stop right before the pub. The engine kept running as a window in the back was rolled down. “Edward!” Ronnie Kray shouted, and motioned for Eggsy to get in. Eggsy crossed the street, and tapped his glasses twice as he walked around the car, opening the door and getting in from the other side from Ronnie. 

Both front seats were taken. The driver had dark hair around his huge bald spot, the other one was young, perhaps a few years older than Eggsy, and had blond hair. He turned around a bit when Eggsy got in, but didn’t say anything. Well, at least Eggsy had his face on camera. 

“Hi,” Eggsy said to Ronnie, who only gave him a small nod in return. “I thought you wanted to meet here?” 

“And we just did. Driver, let’s go.”

They drove off. 

What. The. Fuck?

Mental images of being beheaded in an empty warehouse crept up on Eggsy. Maybe he hadn’t been as convincing as he thought.

Eggsy looked out the window, trying to determine where they were going, and if he would survive making a run for it. Movement to his side caught his eye, and when he whipped his head to the side, it was just in time to see Ronnie turn towards him with a gun in his hand. 

On reflex, Eggsy’s hand moved to his suit jacket, only to move back just as fast as he realised his mistake. 

Ronnie wasn’t pointing the gun at him, instead he was handing it over. He looked at Eggsy with a bemused smile, letting his eyes linger on where his shoulder holster was hidden beneath his suit. “Room for one more?” he asked.

Fuck.

It was obvious Eggsy couldn’t pass his movement off as just a nervous twitch or something, the gesture had been too deliberate for that. So he decided to go with the truth. “Sorry. Force of habit. See something from the corner of my eye, my first instinct is that I don’t wanna be the less-armed one of the two.” He took hold of the gun that was extended to him, noticing it was the one he had stolen from Kray’s goon yesterday, and checked if it was fully loaded. 

It was. 

Then he put it in his shoulder holster, not bothering to hide from Kray that he already had one gun in it. He had gathered as much anyway. 

He was surprised by the lack of reaction his almost-gun-grab had evoked from the other man. Either, Kray hadn’t for a moment thought Eggsy would go through with it, or he knew that he would be quicker than Eggsy if push came to shove. Either way, it was really freaking badass. 

“So, the job,” Kray said, as if nothing had happened at all. “A colleague of mine, or rather ex-colleague, owns us quite a large sum of money. I don’t like it.” 

Eggsy nodded, waiting for the rest.

There was no rest.

Apparently, in the weird, crooked mind of Ronnie Kray, that was a sufficient explanation.

And he supposed it kind of was. So, they were going to this guy’s house then. Whether it was to retrieve the sum owned to Kray, or to kill the man, he would just have to wait to find out. 

****

They drove the rest of way in silence. After roughly thirty minutes, they came to a stop in front of a beautiful, rather large house. It had a driveway with a concrete parking spot to the side of it, where a blue Dodge Polara was parked. The blond man got out and opened Ronnie’s door for him, while Eggsy got out at his side. The driver remained seated. Eggsy looked at him through the windshield, hoping his glasses would pick up the guy’s face despite the reflection. 

“Nobody’s home,” Eggsy said. 

The blonde turned to him with a frown. “How do you know? There is a light on.” He pointed, as if Eggsy could possibly miss the light coming through the curtains.

“Yes, and it is probably the oldest trick in the book. Why would they have their curtains closed at this time of day? It is still light out, so they wouldn’t even have to have their lamps on if the curtains were open. They did this to make it look like they are home. If the curtains were open, we would be able to see that no one is there, not in the living room at least. Also, there are fresh tire tracks on the driveway, and they don’t match the car parked there.” He pointed at the Dodge Polara. “So, they left with their second car.” That luxury alone, having two cars, was enough to make him feel contempt for the people living here. 

The blond man looked towards the parking spot, seeing now what Eggsy had spotted right away, that there was more than sufficient space next to it for another car. He raised his eyebrows a bit, looking impressed.

Ronnie had been listening in silence. “Got a lot of experience breaking and entering?” It sounded partly like an accusation and partly like a genuine question. 

“Yeah,” Eggsy said. “Want me to open the front door?” 

Ronnie shrugged. “Might as well.” 

Eggsy grinned and looked at the house again. In his experience there were two types of rich people. The first kind had a big fence, a dog, and multiple locks. The second kind believed that their social status somehow protected them from being robbed. Spoiler alert: it didn’t. 

“I’ll be right back,” he said with a grin. He casually strolled around the house, looking for open windows all the way. When he reached the back of the house, he hit the jackpot. A window on the second floor was slightly open. He chuckled to himself, thinking about the joke his mates and him always made when they were breaking and entering. “When is a window a door? When it’s ajar”. It was a lame variation of the old (already lame) “When is a door not a door? When it’s ajar”-joke. Still, it was always funny to him. 

He jumped onto the windowsill of what appeared to be the kitchen window and pushed off it as hard as he could, to fling himself at the drainpipe. He grabbed onto it with both hands, squeezed his feet against the sides of the pipe, and started climbing up. 

When he reached the open window, he let go of the drainpipe with one hand and reached in, grabbing the handle from the inside. He was familiar with this kind of window. The handle pointed downwards if the window was closed, up when it was totally open, and to the side when it was ajar, like now. It was supposed to be impossible to open it completely with the handle pointed sideways, but Eggsy knew it could be done. It simply required some strength, and a lot of skill. 

He closed the window as far as possible with his hand still inside, and started tugging the handle upwards. At first, it didn’t budge, but after a few hard tugs, it started moving. He knew the mechanism inside the handle, which was supposed to keep the window at the level of openness the owner wanted, was quite weak. It only took a few more tugs before it broke. He pulled his arm out, and closed the window by pulling on the window-frame. He could feel the faint click of the mechanism going into ‘open’-mode. Now he could simply push the window open completely. 

He held onto the windowsill, grabbing it firmly on the inside, and slowly moved his weight onto that arm. His other arm, with which he had held onto the drainpipe, was starting to hurt from carrying all his weight. He carefully let go of the drainpipe and swung that arm in as well. He was now hanging from the windowsill with both arms. He pulled himself up with all his strength, until his entire upper body was in. Then he let himself fall forward, landing on his hands and doing a somersault to minimise the impact of putting his entire weight on his hands, like he had always done in his gymnastics lessons. 

He looked around the bathroom with curiosity. Everything looked expensive, from the golden taps to the fucking towels. But this was no time for snooping. He walked out onto the hallway, bounded down the stairs light-footedly, and jogged through the hall to the front door. He moved the bolt away – the only security measure these tossers had in place, Jesus, how had they not gotten robbed before? – and opened the door. Ronnie and the blonde guy were waiting patiently. Ronnie smirked at him and went inside, motioning for Eggsy and the other guy to follow him. 

Ronnie moved through the house with confidence, apparently knowing exactly where everything was. He grabbed stuff left and right, handing some items to Eggsy and the blonde, carrying others himself. He took multiple weapons, some jewellery, and a small safe, having Eggsy carry a painting and a lamp, both seemingly chosen at random, while the blonde walked out with a stack of books, a silver clock, and a weird-looking statue of a cat, which really couldn’t be worth much, could it?  
Maybe it was a statement. Or maybe Ronnie just really liked cheesy sculptures. 

When Ronnie was satisfied with the amount of items taken, they simply walked out through the front door, not bothering to make it look as if they hadn’t just fucking robbed a house in broad day light. Ronnie closed the door behind him, and they put it all in the back of the car, except the safe, which Ronnie held onto.

It was so…. easy. 

Somehow it took the fun out of robbing, knowing you were in an empty house, knowing the guys you were with were armed to the teeth, knowing there was a getaway driver. 

Eggsy opened the door, but Ronnie shook his head. “You drive that one,” he said, dangling a key in front of Eggsy. 

Oh. 

Ooooh. 

Grinning, Eggsy grabbed the key and got in the Dodge Polara. 

Oh yes. Véry nice. 

This had to be the most expensive car he’d ever driven. Hell, it probably cost more than the place his mum lived. He followed the other car, which was taking the same route for the most part, but drove past The Regal. 

Eventually, the car stopped, pretty close to the neighbourhood where Eggsy lived. Eggsy parked behind it, and got out. 

Ronnie had rolled the window down, and waved for him to come closer. “You did well,” he said, without a hint of emotion in his voice. The safe was sitting in his lap, open. Damn. The guy was good. “Here.” He handed Eggsy a stack of bills.

Eggsy tried not to immediately count it, instead putting it in his inner pocket. “Thank you.” 

“We will take it from here,” Ronnie said, and the blonde got out of the car immediately and got into the car Eggsy had been driving. Ronnie rolled the window back up without another word, and seconds later they were off, the Dodge Polara following them. 

Eggsy knew he should feel offended about this, them just driving off without a goodbye, not caring if he would get home safe. 

However, he didn’t. They were really close to his flat anyway, which made sense, since he had told Ronnie where he lived. Also, he had the feeling that the money in his pocket would make up for any inconvenience. 

The job had gone well, he had shown his skills to Ronnie, who had even said that Eggsy had done well. There was no reason for Ronnie to NOT want him on his team now. 

All in all, it had been a good night, he decided. He was grinning from ear to ear the whole short walk home.

****

When he was back in his flat and had locked to door, he took out the bills and started counting them. 

Sweet baby Jesus. 

He counted again.

Holy motherfucker. 

Again. 

Bloody hell, this was amazing. 

In shock, he looked down at the bills. 

Five thousand pounds. Five thousand fucking pounds where lying on his kitchen table. Holy motherfucking shit. This was insane. 

It was so easy, in hindsight he should’ve known it would not be without consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit is about to hit the fan, you guys.


	6. The test of loyalty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxy's traintest, because I was sad we didn't get to see it.  
> Eggsy gets a call from Kray and does things he never thought he would.

It had been a few days since they had broken into Ronnie’s ex-colleague’s house. Eggsy hadn’t heard from him since. He had been in The Regal twice since then, but hadn’t seen Ronnie, nor his twin. He did run into the blonde guy who had helped them with the burglary, and had given him his number, saying something about haven forgotten to give it to Ronnie the day of the break-in. 

It was fucking nerve-wracking. He didn’t want to leave the flat, afraid that he would miss a call from Ronnie. He knew the phone was working, so that couldn’t be it. He had called Merlin and talked to him and Harry about what the job had been. They had been a bit annoyed that Eggsy had no clue whose house it was they had burgled, only that it was a former member of the Kray gang who owned them money. They were happy he had gotten it all on video though. While burglary wasn’t going to get anyone locked up for a long time, it was a start. Also, they now had the faces of two of the associates of the Kray’s which was more than they had had earlier. 

Still, it bothered Eggsy that he hadn’t been able to give them more. He didn’t even know what had been in the safe. 

And now he was bored out of his fucking mind. He thought being undercover was supposed to be fun. He had tried talking Merlin into letting him know what kind of test the other recruits would have to undergo, but Merlin wouldn’t say. Harry had only said it was going to be a train wreck, whatever that was supposed to mean. 

Obviously it wouldn’t involve a train. 

Obviously.

****

It always surprised Harry how easy it was for Bagdemagus, the Kingsman agent most familiar with drugs and poisons, to drug the new recruits. He had seen the smartest, brightest people fall for it. And now Roxy and - what was his name again? Oliver! That was it, Oliver – were tied to the train tracks. Him and Merlin were watching on a screen in Merlin’s office as Bagdemagus pulled his scary face, which came fairly natural to him, and approached Roxy first. Harry had high hopes for the girl, as had Merlin. 

Roxy blinked a couple of times in confusion, looking around and assessing the situation. She saw the strange man standing there, and they could practically see her put two and two together. She looked at the man defiantly. “What do you want?” she screamed. Ballsy. Most people just waited for the guy to start talking, but Roxy was nothing if not rational. She knew bad manners wouldn’t make the train approach any faster. The man pulled out his knife, and while her eyes widened a bit, she barely let her fear show. 

“Your only way of escaping is with this knife,” he said, the same thing he said each time. “If you answer my questions, I will give you the knife. Understood?” 

Roxy nodded. 

“What is she doing?” Harry pointed at her wrist on the screen, and Merlin zoomed in a bit. Roxy was wriggling her wrist with almost unnoticeable small movements. She held her thumb to the palm of her hand, trying to pull out of the rope. 

“What the fuck is Kingsman?” Bagdemagus asked. 

“Kingsman?” Roxy repeated, sounding calm, “Never heard of him.” 

“And who is Percival?” 

The headlights of the train became visible, approaching rapidly. 

“Who is Percival?” the man repeated. Roxy didn’t answer, still trying to pull out her hand and – 

“Holy shite!” Merlin exclaimed in shock. 

Everything seemed to happen all at once: Roxy’s arm hand slipped out of the rope, she pulled a knife from her wristband and cut her other hand free, then she threw her knife at the man and without even checking if she had hit her target, she pushed herself towards him, away from the train tracks. Her feet were still tied to the tracks, which she frantically tried to untie. 

“The timer!” Merlin yelled, and started typing something into his computer, but it was too late, the part of the tracks lowered itself with Roxy still attached, and seconds later the train rolled over it. 

The train had never seemed longer than now, with both men leaning in in shock to see if Roxy’s head had been hit by the train. When it was finally past, Roxy was standing next to the train, eyes wide open, without a scratch. Bagdemagus seemed more frightened than her. No wonder, it was only because of thirty years if Kingsman training he had managed to dodge the knife thrown at his throat. Percival approached, quickly checking if the man was okay, then congratulating Roxy on successfully completing her mission. 

“I have never seen anything like that,” Harry said in disbelief. “This girl, I swear to God…” Those knots were tight. He would know. 

Amazing. Just freaking amazing. 

“Oliver is up next,” Merlin said, still sounding a bit shaken. “Do you want to watch him as well?” 

“No,” Harry said. “I think there is no doubt anymore anyway, is there?” 

Merlin hummed in agreement.

****

He almost jumped out of his skin at the sound of the phone ringing. He was at the phone within a second, his heart pounding as he looked at the phone that kept ringing. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. He still sounded a bit out of breath when he picked up. 

“Edward Smith speaking.”. 

“Hello Edward. Ronnie Kray. Have you had dinner yet?” 

What the fuck?

“Eehrm… no.” 

“Good. Meet me at The Regal at seven.” He hung up. 

What the hell did any of this mean?

Eggsy looked at his watch. It was six o’clock. No need to hurry. 

He was wearing his casual clothes, so he’d have to change first. He wasn’t gonna go anywhere with Ronnie Kray without his bulletproof suit on. Also, it had sounded like Kray was inviting him to dinner. 

Like… a date? Maybe? 

He didn’t want to assume anything, but still nerves were creeping up on him. Was it weird that the thought of a date made him more nervous than breaking into somebody’s house? Well, to be fair, he had broken in more often than he’d been on a date. 

Which he had been… never? 

He’d dated girls, obviously, just not the posh kind of dating, with dinners and flowers and whatever shit rich people in love did. And he hadn’t been in love with them, really. It’s just that sometimes he’d meet a girl in a club and go home with her. And sometimes he’d go home with her again. That was dating, right? Anyway, none of these things had lasted more than a few weeks. It was just boring, wasn’t it? Talking to them every day, hanging around in the park, occasionally making out. 

He holstered his guns, put on his suit, and even tried to smooth his hair down a bit. Then he called Merlin.

“Is everything alright?” Merlin sounded tense.

“Good evening to you as well,” Eggsy said, sounding smug. It made him quite happy to be the one chastising others for their manners for a change. “I’m fine. I’m going out with Ronnie Kray in a bit, I need your advice. Is Harry there as well?” 

“No, should I get him? He is rather preoccupied at the moment though.” Merlin obviously had his mouth full, undoubtedly eating take-out at his desk. “And what do you mean ‘going out’?” 

“You know, like people do. When they have dinner somewhere else than their workplace or home.” He paused. “Do you even have a home, Merlin? You’re always at work.” 

Merlin ignored the question. “Does he have another job for you? Wear your bulletproof suit alright? Oh, Galahad is here.” Eggsy could hear him put the phone down and put in on speaker. 

“Edward?” Harry asked. Merlin hummed. “He is meeting Kray tonight.” 

“Hi Harry. Where’ve you been?” 

“The hospital,” Harry answered. There was the sound of a chair scraping the floor as Harry sat down. “One of the recruits.” 

“Roxy?” Eggsy asked, alarmed.

“No the other one…”

“Oliver,” Merlin supplied with a sigh.

“Roxy is fine,” Harry said. “In fact, she is… am I allowed to say this, Merlin?” Apparently Merlin nodded, because Harry continued, “She is the next Lancelot.” There was no emotion in Harry’s voice as he said it.

“Oh,” Eggsy said. He had thought training would continue for a bit more. Had thought there was a chance he could return in time. What the hell did this mean for him? Still, he felt happy for her. “She crushed it, yeah?” he asked. He was sure of it. 

“Well, yes. Definitely.” There was admiration in Harry’s voice. “But there will be another test when you return, since you are officially a recruit as well. The reason she is, at least temporarily, the next Lancelot, is because she is the only recruit left here. We couldn’t say that she would have to wait to find out if she was the next Lancelot, could we?” 

“How come she’s the only one left? Did the other guy fail?” Eggsy asked.

“Eehm… not so much ‘fail’ as get a heart attack when he saw the train approach. He is alright though, but still.” 

“A heart attack?” Eggsy laughed. “That is fucking hilarious.” 

Harry chuckled. 

“What is wrong with you two?” Merlin mumbled. 

“So, aristocrats do not only develop weak chins, but weak hearts as well?” Eggsy quipped. 

That made Harry laugh. “That is exactly what I said, Edward.” 

Merlin just groaned, mumbling something about ‘horrible people’. 

“What was that about a train approaching? Did you tie ‘em to the tracks or what?” It was like something in an old western, the damsel in distress that was left there do die, only to be saved by a rugged, cool western star named Rod or Burt, or something equally short and masculine. 

“Something like that. Anyway, you are meeting Kray again? Is there another job for you?” 

Maybe Eggsy was imagining it, but there seemed to be something like concern in Harry’s voice. 

“I don’t know,” Eggsy answered truthfully. “He just asked me if I had had dinner, and then told me to meet him. That is actually why I called, if we’re going to a restaurant, does that mean I have to wear a tie?” 

There was a moment of stunned silence. 

“That… that is what you needed advice about?” Merlin asked. 

Eggsy shrunk a little. The question sounded heavy, judgemental. “… Yes?” 

Harry chimed in, sounding neutral. “That is up to you. Do you feel like Edward would wear one?”

Eggsy was glad that if Harry thought it was a stupid question, he was keeping that to himself. “Fair point. Thank you.” 

“Anyway, whether this is for a job or not, be careful. And remember to film it if he does something illegal. You still haven’t met the other Kray brother? Reginald?” Harry asked.

“Nope. Maybe he’ll be there, I don’t know. But yeah, I’ll film it if he does something crazy. Well, I have to go now. I will give you a call if there is anything to report that isn’t clear from the video yeah? If there even is the need to film anything.” 

“Okay, be careful,” Harry said for the gazillionth time. 

“Always,” Eggsy said and hung up.

****

He really wished Ronnie had been a bit more specific about where to meet. He once again found himself not knowing whether to go inside or wait outside the pub. Since they would go somewhere for dinner, it was unlikely that Ronnie wanted to spend time in the pub first. Or so he hoped. He was starving. 

He leaned against the wall, and kinda wished he hadn’t quit smoking. He missed always having something to do with his hands. Waiting didn’t feel so long if you spent the time smoking. But he had noticed that smoking made him run just that little bit slower. And a fraction of a second could be a huge as fuck difference in his old neighbourhood. And in his job. Of course.

The double doors opened and Ronnie walked out, looking around. Eggsy waved. Ronnie saw him and approached with a warm smile. 

He had never seen him look so… kind. Eggsy smiled back. “Hi,” he said once Ronnie was within earshot. 

“Hello,” Ronnie greeted back. “Do you mind walking? You are not wearing a coat. I can get us a cab if you want?” the concern, whether it was real or not, made Eggsy feel warm inside. The spring air was chilly, but his suit provided enough warmth.

“It’s okay,” he said. “But thank you.” 

“Good. It’s not far anyway.” 

Eggsy followed Ronnie, falling into step with him. They walked at a leisurely pace, neither of them being in a particular hurry to arrive at their destination. Wherever that was. Eggsy was searching for something to say, but realised that the silence didn’t bother him. It wasn’t awkward or forced, it just _was_. Harry always had a cool anecdote on the ready, something to keep the conversation going. Apparently that was something a gentleman should do, like there were many things a gentleman was supposed to do. While Eggsy liked Harry’s stories, it was quite nice to just walk in silence. 

“We’re here,” Ronnie said after ten minutes, coming to a stop in front of a very fancy looking restaurant. It had white pillars on either side of the front door, joined on the top by a kind of ornamented roof. 

Ronnie held the door open for Eggsy, which made him blush a little, as he slipped in quickly. A well-dressed man approached. “Good evening Mr Kray, Mr….?” 

“Smith,” Eggsy said. 

“Good evening, Mr Smith.” The man turned to Ronnie. "Can I take your coat, Mr Kray?”. 

Ronnie took his coat off and handed it to the man, saying “Thank you,” and giving him a tip. 

The man excuses himself and left with the coat, hanging it in the coatroom, and returned a moment later to show them to their seats. He held the door to the main area open for the both of them, and led them through the entire area, to a quiet place almost in the back, where they had a beautiful view of a park. 

It was crowded in the restaurant, the patronage was impeccably dressed, making Eggsy feel quite shabby in his deliberately cheap looking suit. The tables were covered with spotless white table cloths, the lights in the restaurant were dimmed, making the candles on every table stand out beautifully even though it was not yet dark out. Red carpeting gave the place a warm feeling, a hint of cosiness despite how big it was. Eggsy had never been in a place like this, and caught himself looking around in awe. 

They sat down at a table for two, and after he had lit their candle, the man left. 

Eggsy smiled at Ronnie. “This place is amazing!” he said, genuinely impressed by the sheer glamour of it all.

“Wait till you’ve tried the food.” Ronnie said amusedly. 

A waiter approached, greeting them both by name -damn, word travelled fast – and handed them the menu. “Would you like to order some drinks?” the waiter asked politely. Ronnie looked at Eggsy expectantly, who looked back unsurely. Was it weird to order beer in a place like this? He didn’t recognize any of the wines listed. He was glad his ignorance of this sort of thing fit with his Edward-character. Just like him being the only man is here not wearing a tie. 

“I’ll have what you’re having,” he said.

Ronnie ordered a bottle of something, the name eluding Eggsy seconds after he’d heard it. 

As the waiter left, Eggsy started to feel awkward. This was not his kind of place. He so obviously didn’t belong here, with his cheap clothes and not knowing what the difference was between the various kinds (and years, what the hell was that about?) of wines. It was not the only thing making him uncomfortable.

“Is this a business meeting?” he blurted out, not quite knowing if he wanted it to be. Immediately regretting his own lack of tact, he pulled a face. “I mean-" 

Ronnie held up a hand to stop him. 

Thank god. He hadn’t known how to end that sentence anyway. 

Ronnie raised one eyebrow. “That depends on your answer. Would you like a repeat of the job from a few days back?” 

“Yes.”

“Good, we’re short one person.” 

The what-happened-question must’ve been readable on Eggsy’s face, cause Ronnie smirked and said “Someone let a boy take away his gun and humiliate him. Not good for business.” 

He looked… proud? 

Eggsy swallowed, remembering what Ronnie had said about not keeping buying them new guns. He had thought it meant the guy would just get it back. This explained why Eggsy had gotten it instead. He was the guy's replacement. He wondered briefly if the man was still alive. 

Ronnie didn’t elaborate, and Eggsy realised he didn’t really mind. It would all become clear in due course. 

The wine arrived and Eggsy let Ronnie order food for him, since he didn’t know what all the fancy food was anyway. Ronnie paid close attention to Eggsy eating, relishing in the faces of utter joy Eggsy pulled tasting his food. It was delicious, lamb and vegetables that tasted like little slices of heaven. They ate in silence, simply enjoying their food, the silence only broken by appreciative moans from Eggsy, and the occasional faint laugh from Ronnie at the sounds. 

When Eggsy had cleared his plate, feeling fuller than he ever had, Ronnie waved for the check. Dessert, they decided, would be wasted on them, being as full as they were.

“I can pay,” Eggsy offered. “I mean, I have money now.”

Ronnie grinned. “Yes, and it was only a small percentage,” he laid some bills down on the table.

Ronnie got up, effectively ending Eggsy’s weak protest. They retrieved Ronnie’s coat and walked outside, where the cool evening air was a welcome difference to the warmth of the restaurant. It quite surprised Eggsy how _nice_ all of this was. They had barely spoken, to be honest, so it hadn’t really been a business meeting after all. 

He realised he wouldn’t mind if it _had_ been a date. Why would he care? He felt oddly comfortable around Ronnie. There was something about the man’s demeanour that Eggsy really appreciated. He didn’t feel forced to smile when he didn’t want to, didn’t feel the need to talk when there was nothing to talk about. At Kingsman they might see that as rude, but Eggsy understood it. 

He liked it. 

They walked in silence again, probably back to The Regal, though Eggsy didn’t ask. His mind wandered to the food, to the glamorous atmosphere in the restaurant, to the waiters greeting them with polite respect. He thought of Ronnie’s smile, and how different he had looked from their first meeting. How the crazy in his eyes had been exchanged for warmth.

Had he not been so absorbed in his own thoughts, he might have heard the footsteps when they were still at a safe distance. He might have been alerted to the man’s presence before he chose to make his presence known. He might have been able to prevent what was about to happen. 

But his thoughts were elsewhere, not in the cold London streets. 

****

It all happened so fast. So terrifyingly, incomprehensibly fast. “You’re a dead man Ronnie Kray!” The voice was no more than three feet away, the tone of it making perfectly clear it was not an empty threat. 

In a reflex Eggsy drew his knife, turned around, saw the gun in the guy’s hand and the determination on his face. The Kingsman blade broke through the man’s sternum with a sickening crack, and slid into the heart with ease. Blood gushed over Eggsy’s hand and he let go of the knife in shock. 

The man sank to the ground almost comically slowly, the front of his champagne coloured coat turning red rapidly. He took one shaky breath and went still. 

_He had killed, he had killed, he had killed, he had killed, he had killed._

Eggsy’s couldn’t tear his eyes away from the dead man, he could feel his heart thrumming through his entire body, heard his own blood rush in his ears. His bloodied hand was trembling, the smell of blood reached his nose, making his stomach turn. _He had killed_. 

He did not know who the man was, what if he…. Oh God, what if he was a police officer, or hell, even a Kingsman? He had killed, he had killed, he had killed. 

Eggsy blinked, trying his best to stop looking at the dead man. He tried to calm down, to tell himself that the man had been prepared to murder him, or Ronnie, or both, the gun in his hand and the words he had said had been proof of that. Finally he managed to look at Ronnie, who looked at the dying man at his feet unfazed, his own drawn gun no longer needed. He looked at Eggsy, who looked back at him in horror. 

Ronnie lowered the gun and put it back in its holster, never breaking eye contact with Eggsy. His unperturbed facial expression changed into something else.

Admiration.

Lust.

A wide grin spread on his face, and he hit Eggsy on the shoulder in a jovial manner. “You are fucking mad!” he said, the pride in his voice unmistakable. 

Ronnie looked at the man at his feet again. He prodded at him with his foot, as if to check if he was really dead. Then he shrugged and looked at Eggsy again. “That was a clean kill, I’m telling ya.” he said, gesturing at the guy at his feet. “He deserved it.” 

He put his arm around Eggsy’s shoulders and started walking, a casual stroll, as if they were not leaving a crime scene, as if Eggsy had not just fucking ended someone’s life with one swift movement of his hands. Eggsy’s legs felt heavy, his entire body was shaking, and his heart was still beating so hard it hurt. 

He was glad to hear he had not just offed someone innocent, but then again, who was he to judge innocence? Who was he to decide if someone should live or die? 

“Who is he?” His voice was shaky. 

Was. Who was he. No more ‘is’, never again, thanks to Eggsy. 

“Jimmy Harvers,” Ronnie said, with a chuckle that was entirely inappropriate and totally terrifying. “The guy we robbed.” 

What. 

The. 

Fuck.

Ronnie had mentioned he had been an ex-colleague, that he owned them money. But this, the man’s attempt on Ronnie’s life, the way Ronnie didn’t mind him being dead at all… that couldn’t be because of money, could it? There had to be more here, a larger dispute he knew nothing about. There had to be. 

“Let’s get you home, you look a bit pale” Ronnie chuckled. “Who’d have thought it, eh? That our Teddy is so mad.” He let go of Eggsy’s shoulder and pursed his lips, thinking. “I quite like that. Mad Teddy.” He grinned. “If this doesn’t break the ice between you and Reg, nothing will.” He whistled a cheerful tune as he walked on, Eggsy still wide-eyed and wondering how he should tell Merlin this. 

_If_ he should tell Merlin this. How was he going to drop this bombshell? “Oh Merlin, I might have accidentally killed an enemy of the Krays. But it’s fine, cause it gave me a cool nickname, and now Ronnie totally wants me”. 

No, he would keep this on the down low until he knew how to break this news to his colleagues. 

Ronnie was still inappropriately cheerful when they passed a phone booth and he excused himself to make a phone call, no doubt to let his colleagues know there was a body they needed to get rid of. Eggsy waited next to the phone booth, getting calmer by the minute. He still felt a bit dizzy, but his heart was slowing down and his nausea was receding. 

Ronnie finished his phone call and put his arm around Eggsy’s shoulder again. Eggsy put his around Ronnie’s waist with a shy smile. His heart sped up again, but for a completely different reason. It had finally dawned on him what Ronnie had said earlier. ‘Let’s get you home’. Did Kray mean his own home, or Eggsy’s flat? 

As they walked in the cold evening air, Eggsy found that once the initial shock had died down, he did not feel half bad. The guy had deserved it, Ronnie said, and even the fact that Ronnie even knew who the guy was meant he was associated with some real shady shit. 

Ronnie slowed down, and so did Eggsy, turning to look at him. Ronnie still had one hand on Eggsy’s shoulder, and used it to pull him closer. There was something in his eyes again. The same look Eggsy had given Harry as he watched him beat up Dean’s goons in the pub. 

Eggsy wrapped both arms around Ronnie’s waist, suddenly very aware of the small height difference between them. Ronnie was grinning up at him, and Eggsy realised he had the same stupid smile on his face. They were so close. So incredibly, wonderfully close. He could feel Ronnie’s warm breath on his chin, the strong muscles of his back under his fingertips. Ronnie’s hands were stroking Eggsy’s neck, as the older man leaned in some more. 

The first brush of his lips against Eggsy’s was surprisingly gentle. Eggsy was aware he was blushing like never before, but he didn’t mind. 

He wanted more. 

Ronnie touched his lips to Eggsy’s again, and Eggsy leaned in as well, pressing their lips together harder. Ronnie’s lips were warm and soft, Eggsy clawed at the back of his suit as the kiss got deeper, better, hotter. Their mouths fit together perfectly. He cherished the warmth of Ronnie’s tongue flicking over his lips, and parted them a little. He met Ronnie’s tongue with his own, kissing in a way he had never kissed a girl before; without regards to manners, without holding back. It was pure lust, this long, filthy kiss that left Eggsy panting, grinning at Ronnie whose eyes had darkened. 

It was the hottest thing Eggsy had ever seen.

There was no doubt in his mind where they were going anymore. He hooked his arm into Ronnie’s as they started walking again, an urgency to their step that hadn’t been there previously. 

A sudden rush overcame him, something between relief and excitement. He knew he should feel bad about this. About the kill. About the kiss. About the fact he didn’t mind either. But he didn’t feel bad about it. And he knew that fact should scare him, but it didn’t. He was Edward ‘Mad Teddy’ Smith, he was walking in the most beautiful city in the world with the most powerful man he had ever met, and he felt fucking invincible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gaaahh, I'm really nervous about this chapter. I hope it isn't too bad. 
> 
> I guess we are about to find out if killing someone really changes you....


	7. The first time

They walked to Ronnie’s place as fast as possible, the pounding of their feet on pavement weirdly in pace with Eggsy’s rapid heartbeat. Twice, Ronnie dragged Eggsy into an alley to kiss him again, short and hard, but good. 

Ronnie’s soft remark that they were close to his house made Eggsy have the presence of mind to tap his glasses twice, after that, all thoughts of the mission and related issues went out the window. He was nervous, but that was not the only thing that caused the fluttering feeling in his stomach: he was excited, too. He felt giddy, and it was not from the wine. He wasted no thoughts on what this meant for the mission, this feeling he had, instead letting himself become Mad Teddy completely, lack of restraint and all. 

He only vaguely registered that Ronnie’s house was big and beautiful, then Ronnie was fumbling with his keys and they were inside. As soon as the door was closed, Eggsy was pushed up against the wall, Ronnie’s arms around his waist, his lips on Eggsy’s. Eggsy moaned softly, a sound that startled him because he hadn’t intended to make it. This wasn’t acting, this was pure, simple enjoyment. 

Ronnie pulled back and grabbed his hand, and they were stumbling through the hallway towards the stairs. Eggsy almost tripped on the first step, only held up by Ronnie holding his hand. Eggsy laughed, feeling lightheaded – when had he become so clumsy? He followed Ronnie up, almost running up the stairs, remembered that he was still filming this and quickly tapped his glasses while Ronnie still had his back turned. The next moment Ronnie had opened the door to his bedroom, Eggsy quickly shutting the door behind himself. The room had dark, baroque wallpaper, a classy armchair in one corner, double doors leading to the balcony and a door that probably lead to a bathroom, but what really caught Eggsy’s eye was the huge, ridiculously comfortable looking bed. 

He let himself fall on top of the soft blankets with a squeal, like a child in a hotel room. It was like lying on a cloud, the matrass forming itself around his body in a way that was most comfortable. He sat up again, subconsciously licking his lips while looking at Ronnie who was standing right in front of him, taking off his coat. 

Ronnie flung his coat at the armchair, and started unbuttoning his suit jacket. There was something indescribably erotic about seeing how heavily armed Ronnie was; two guns at least one knife, a fuckload of ammunition. The holster strained around his broad shoulders, his tight shirt accentuated the muscles in his arms and chest. He was the epitome of strong. Eggsy realised he was biting his lip, but he couldn’t help it. 

Ronnie was fit. 

He was nothing like the guys Dean had made condescending comments about, the skinny, feminine men who, according to Dean, just had to be ‘poofs’ and ‘fags’. The thought of Dean seeing this incredibly masculine man take his clothes off in front of another man almost made Eggsy laugh. Dean’s jaw would drop to the floor so hard it would have to be surgically re-attached. 

Ronnie kept eye contact, slightly grinning, while he took of the holster and placed it on the chair as well. He loosened his tie and dropped it where he stood, and Eggsy couldn’t just sit there any longer, he stood up and was immediately so close to Ronnie he had to look down ever so slightly. He put his hand on Ronnie’s chest, swallowing hard at the feel of the hard muscles under the shirt. Ronnie’s heart was beating fast, his pupils were dilated, and Eggsy knew it was the same for him. He slowly moved his fingers to the buttons of Ronnie’s shirt, waiting for permission. Ronnie nodded slowly, still never breaking eye contact, and Eggsy started unbuttoning, letting his fingertips explore every inch of skin as he uncovered it. Ronnie’s skin was hot, and Eggsy could see his heartbeat in the vein of his neck. He leaned in and kissed it softly. 

Ronnie let out a shaky breath. Eggsy kept pressing kisses to the same spot while his hands worked at the buttons until they were all open. He slipped his hands into the shirt, and slowly pushed it off Ronnie’s shoulders. He leaned back a bit to admire the man in front of him, his strong arms, the way his chest heaved with every deep breath. 

Then he unbuttoned his own jacket at let it slide off his shoulders carelessly. He fumbled at his first button teasingly, and Ronnie got the hint and started doing it for him. 

His movements were confident and fast; he knew exactly what he was doing. He pushed Eggsy’s shirt off the same way he had done, taking the holster with it, and took in the view with a wicked smile. Eggsy’s breath caught in his throat at the sight. Sure, he knew he had a good body (free running and years of gymnastics tended to do that to someone), but this was different. No one had ever looked at him with such blatant lust. 

Ronnie softly pushed him over, making Eggsy land on his back on the bed. Eggsy toed off his shoes and scooted over so he was fully on the bed. He pulled his knees towards his chest so he could take off his socks, while Ronnie opened his belt.

Ronnie pulled the belt through the loops of his trousers deliberately slow, and dropped it on the floor. Then he put one knee on the bed and leaned forward, opening the button of Eggsy’s trousers with one hand. 

Fuck, that was hot.

He’d have to learn that trick one day.

Ronnie grabbed the bottom of Eggsy’s trousers and pulled them off with one swift motion. Then he took off his own without much ceremony, and crawled on top of Eggsy. He had his hands on either side of Eggsy’s head, his knees next to Eggsy’s hips. He slowly lowered his upper body, and Eggsy met his mouth with a delighted groan. He swung his legs around Ronnie’s hips and pulled him closer. There were only two thin layers of fabric between them, and the thought made Eggsy moan softly. 

He gently pushed Ronnie away a bit to be able to take off his glasses, blinked a bit as if his eyes were readjusting, and put the glasses on the nightstand. Ronnie took off his as well, and they were kissing again. 

There were flutters in Eggsy’s stomach, a feeling that was both wonderful and terrifying. Their hips were pressed together, and he could feel Ronnie’s erection pressing against his own. Suddenly, Ronnie pulled back. Eggsy let go with his legs, and put his feet on the matrass, pushing himself up a bit on his elbows to see what Ronnie was doing.

He was taking off his pants, and if Eggsy’s heart wasn’t already beating at maximum capacity, that would’ve done the trick. Ronnie slipped his fingertips into the waistband of Eggsy’s pants and pulled them down to his knees. Eggsy lifted his feet so Ronnie could easily pull them off his body completely. 

For a moment they were just looking at each other, blood pumping in his ears, his breath fast and shallow. Ronnie took a few steps to the nightstand, pulled out a bottle, and knelt down on the bed, between Eggsy’s knees.

Eggsy didn’t quite know what he was doing, but if the confidence of Ronnie’s movements was anything to go by, he definitely did. 

Ronnie opened the bottle and squeezed something onto his fingers. 

Oh.

Ooooh.

Ronnie leaned forward again, using his other hand to lift Eggsy’s leg onto his shoulders, and leaned forward until he could place one hand on the bed next to Eggsy’s ribcage. He nudged Eggsy’s other leg with his wrist. Eggsy carefully placed his ankle on Ronnie’s other shoulder. Ronnie put more of his weight onto Eggsy’s legs, slowly, until Eggsy’s ankles were almost at his ears.

“You are very flexible,” Ronnie said, his voice a low whisper. 

“I used to be a gymnast,” Eggsy groaned back, more thankful than ever for his habit of stretching his muscles every morning. His flexibility hadn’t significantly decreased since he stopped his lessons. 

Ronnie let out an appreciative moan and moved his hand down. 

Eggsy closed his eyes tightly at the first contact, expecting it to hurt. Ronnie’s finger slipped in with surprising ease. It felt so good, so hot, so full. Eggsy opened his eyes and looked into Ronnie’s eyes, who was closely watching every movement of his face, seeing if he was hurting him. Eggsy eased into it, enjoying the movements of Ronnie’s finger inside him. His breath was hitching every once in a while and he arched his back to get a better angle, enticing a moan from Ronnie. 

Another finger was added. It hurt, but not in a bad way, and after a while his body had adjusted and he simply laid back with his eyes closed, relishing the feeling.

“You okay?” Ronnie mumbled into his ear. 

“Yeah,” Eggsy sighed. 

Ronnie pulled his fingers out carefully, stroked Eggsy’s thighs in a way that made him shiver, and lifted Eggsy’s legs off his shoulders, lowering them to his waist again. Eggsy wrapped his legs around Ronnie’s waist tightly, while Ronnie moved his hand to his own cock and pushed it in slowly. 

Eggsy bit down hard, the mix of pain and pleasure made his spine tingle. He wrapped his arms around Ronnie’s shoulders, pulling him even closer. 

Ronnie moved his hips in a maddeningly slow pace, making Eggsy feel like he had never felt before. He felt the movements through his entire body, so good, so indescribably good. He moaned, and did nothing to quiet it, the sound made Ronnie speed up and - “Yes! Oh my god, fuck!” Eggsy clenched his fists, aware he was alternatively grinning like a madman and throwing his head back with his mouth open in an obscene o-shape. 

Ronnie’s weight was almost completely on him now, and the way he felt inside Eggsy’s body made him see stars. Eggsy was close to having an orgasm, the words that came out were unintelligible swearwords, and he was vaguely aware that Ronnie was cursing as well.

They came at almost the same time, Eggsy slightly earlier, moaning louder than ever before. 

Ronnie followed seconds later, collapsing onto him. 

They just laid there for a couple of minutes, while their breathing got more even and their heartbeats slowed down, Eggsy stroking Ronnie’s back as he tried to catch his breath. 

He had never known sex could be so beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this was supposed to be a ~plotty~ chapter, but my hand slipped, so here's some porn instead.
> 
> Don't worry, the plot still exists, and it will pick up again in the next chapter. I just felt like I couldn't just leave you hanging after that kiss so... *shrugs*. Porn it is. 
> 
> This is my first attempt at smut, so I hope it is not too bad. 
> 
> Anyway... get ready for the second Kray ;)
> 
> Sidenote: ImdB has finally updated Legend's cast list, so it is finally official that Taron will indeed play Teddy Smith.


	8. The suit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eggsy deals with what he's done, Merlin is a good friend, Ronnie and Eggsy go to a familiar place.

“Okay, be careful,” Harry said, making Merlin roll his eyes. 

“Always,” was the boys cheeky reply, and he hung up. Harry hung up as well, and leaned back in his chair, clearly intending to stay and stare at the monitor for the next few hours until Eggsy was home safe.

Oh no. 

That was not going to happen.

Not on Merlin’s watch.

He turned to his oldest friend and said, with a tone of voice that meant that resistance was futile, “You can’t stay here.” 

Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise – and anger. “Why not? I’m his mentor.” 

“Exactly. So you are not the one who is supposed to monitor him. That person,” he looked at Harry in mock-surprise, “is me.” 

It looked as if Harry was going to protest, so Merlin shut him down before he even started. “I know you care about the boy. I know you want him to be safe. So I promise you right now, if I have even the slightest reason to believe he is in danger, you know it before he even knows it himself. Alright? But for now, I want to be able to work without you narrating his every move.” 

“I do NOT-“ Harry stopped himself before he could continue. He let out a sigh. “I’m sorry Merlin. I know I was annoying you. But if I promise to be completely silent-“ 

“No. Absolutely not.” Merlin reached into his backpack and pulled out a key. “And since I will be staying here, I need you to go and feed Alan Turing and Nikola Tesla.” 

Harry groaned at the names of Merlin’s cats, like he always did, but took the key anyway. Merlin didn’t like giving random people his home address, so if he really couldn’t make it home, it was Harry who had the ‘honour’ of going to his flat and feeding the two Siamese cats. Who were both female, but apparently Merlin didn’t care about gender norms when naming his pets. 

“And Galahad? Please go home after.” 

Harry ignored that request and stalked out of the room. Merlin locked the door behind him. It was just like Harry to come back after feeding the cats, and Merlin really didn’t want him here, not tonight. Although not just for the reasons he had told him.

****

A few hours later, those other reasons were in full view. 

The little dot on his screen had told him that Eggsy had gone to The Regal, stayed there for a couple of minutes, and then left, eventually going into a building, which after a few seconds of going through the Kingsman database turned out to be ‘The White Swan’, a very fancy restaurant. The database had the menu as well. It was impressive. “Well done Eggsy,” he said out loud, a habit he had developed over the years of being alone in his office. He hoped Eggsy ordered the lamb. The picture alone made his mouth water. 

They stayed in the restaurant for almost two hours, after which they left the same way they had come. Somewhere between the restaurant and The Regal, Eggsy stopped. Merlin waited patiently, no need to alert Harry when this could just be a glitch, or Eggsy stopping to tie his shoe or something equally mundane and non-threatening. After a minute or so, the dot moved again. Merlin was quite certain they were headed to Ronnie’s house, and he resented the fact he couldn’t reach out to Eggsy to tell him to activate his glasses. Knowing the insides of Ronnie Kray’s house could prove to be useful in the future, even if it was just so he wouldn’t have to send in agents without any idea of where gunfire might come from during a raid. A few blocks from the house, Eggsy’s glasses finally started transmitting. 

The first thing Merlin saw was Ronnie Kray’s face, for just a moment. Obviously Eggsy had looked at him while he said something, and was now again looking forward. They came to a stop in front of a big house, which Merlin made a screenshot off, and went inside. He could only spot the hallway with a staircase at the end and a door on either side of it, then the image flipped 90 degrees to the side, and Ronnie’s face came into full view, obviously kissing Eggsy. 

“Oh my word.” Merlin was glad he had sent Harry away. 

It was always a bit weird to have such a first-person view of someone kissing the agent one was monitoring, doubly so when you knew exactly what that someone was capable of. Thankfully the kiss didn’t last very long. Judging by the way the image was shaking, Eggsy ran, almost fell on the stairs, somehow managed to stay mostly upright, started running up the stairs again, following Ronnie, and then the feed gave out. 

So he had gone home with Ronnie Kray. Merlin wondered how that would turn out. Most importantly, he wondered with what kind of feeling Eggsy would wake up the next morning. 

****  
Eggsy woke up with the urgent need to take a piss. The bed was so soft and warm that he ignored the feeling until he really couldn’t hold it anymore, and finally opened his eyes. He was alone. He stumbled to the bathroom, shivering slightly in the sudden cold. 

Ronnie’s bathroom was luxurious. It was the kind of thing Eggsy imagined hotels looked like, although he had never been to one. The bathtub was big and comfortable looking. Eggsy realized it could probably house two people, a thought that made a blush creep up his cheeks. The sinks were marble, the faucets gold. The place was spotless and smelled of vanilla. Damn. Turns out crime _does_ pay. 

Using the toilet felt like taking a piss in the middle of a museum, as if the object was to be looked at only, not to be actually used. Or something. He wasn’t entirely awake just yet. He flushed with a yawn, and washed his hands using the soap lying around, which was apparently the thing that made the bathroom smell so nice. 

When he opened the door to the bedroom again, Ronnie was standing in the middle of the room, his back turned to Eggsy, tying his tie. “Good morning,” Eggsy said rather awkwardly, suddenly aware that he was naked. Not like it mattered, the guy had seen everything there was to see, but still. Ronnie turned around, smiled a little and returned the greeting. Then he got serious. 

“I have to leave in a couple of minutes.” 

Eggsy got the real meaning immediately. He knew a dismissal when he heard one. “Okay,” he said, quickly gathering his clothes from where he had dropped them, and put them on. 

He followed Ronnie downstairs, where Ronnie opened the front door. No breakfast then. Not that he had expected… he hadn’t even expected to be here, so… whatever. He wasn’t one to get offended over these things. 

“Be back here at four,” Ronnie said when Eggsy stepped outside. 

Before he could ask why, the door closed behind him. 

“Okay,” Eggsy said to the closed door. Apparently Ronnie wasn’t in a good mood. Not that he was a talker usually, but somehow this was different. Eggsy shrugged, feeling kind of ridiculous doing so since no one was there to see it, and made his way home.

****

Halfway home, the reality of what had happened yesterday started catching up on him. It seemed so surreal, everything from the moment he heard the voice behind him threatening to kill Ronnie, to leaving Ronnie’s house this morning. He sped up, not wanting to break down in public, and barely made it into his tiny flat before he started trembling and his eyes started watering. 

He sat down on his bed, glad to have something supporting him, instead of his shaking legs.

 _He had killed_. He had taken a life. And then he had gone home with a man – a gangster, a crazy person, a murderer, the man who had witnessed him killing – and had…

He had kissed a man. He had had sex with a man. He was attracted to… 

No. No he wasn’t. Edward Smith was. Mad Teddy was. 

Eggsy Unwin wasn’t….

Wasn’t… what? …. A poof? A murderer? 

Yes he was. He _was_ Mad Teddy. He was all of those things. 

He took a few trembling breaths, trying to keep them shallow enough to not start hyperventilating. _He had killed, he had killed, he had killed_. His breathing got faster, and no no no slow down please, he pressed his sleeves to his nose to try and slow his intake of breaths, but the smell of blood was a painful reminder that it was real, it was real and he had killed, had killed, had killed.

He was a murderer. And it had been so easy. Everything he’d done, he’d done on reflex. What did that say about him? A normal person wouldn’t have drawn his knife so easily, wouldn’t have stabbed another human being without hesitation. A normal person would have felt this feeling, whatever it was, yesterday. It wasn’t remorse. It was the feeling that something had changed forever, the feeling that he had done something he could never come back from. Whatever else he did in his life, no matter how many good things he did, he would always be a murderer. And he couldn’t pin it on Mad Teddy, because he _was_ Mad Teddy. Maybe he had _always_ been him. Was Eggsy Unwin, the friendly, cheeky, but ultimately harmless person, just a mask he had worn for 22 years? The thought terrified him, but somehow calmed him as well. If it was the case, then surely it meant this was human nature? Ronnie had been calm about it, why couldn’t he be? 

Ronnie.

Was it weird he wanted nothing more than to feel Ronnie’s arms around him? He was the only person in the whole world who knew what Eggsy had done. He was the only person he could talk to about this, the only person who would understand. He couldn’t talk to Merlin, and definitely not to Harry. They would blow the mission off, and then where would that leave him? Where would it leave his mum and sister? His only chance at becoming a Kingsman, at doing something with his life, would be gone. He might even go down for murder. Everything would have been thrown away because of this weird instinct to protect a man he had only just met. A man who had all but kicked him out after a night that should have meant everything.

Hell, that _had_ meant everything, at least to him. Or to Mad Teddy. He didn’t even know anymore. 

He was fucked. 

He stood up, his muscles ached from the panic that was rushing over him, from the ragged breaths he was taking, but he deserved this pain, he deserved this punishment because he was a fucking murderer and that fact would never change. He took off his clothes as fast as he could, dropping them carelessly into a pile, and stepped into the small shower. His trembling legs wouldn’t carry him, not for long, so he sat down on the cold tiles and let the water rush over him, scrubbing at the hands that had killed, trying to get rid of the blood that was still visible under his fingernails, in the edges of his nailbeds, in the folds of his skin. Most of the blood must have ended up in Ronnie’s suit when he was holding onto him tight when they were kissing, and why the hell hadn’t the blood bothered him yesterday, why the hell hadn’t he ran to the bathroom first chance he got to get rid of the blood on his hands? He knew the answer, but tried to push the thought away. It didn’t work, the horrible reason echoed through his mind again and again. Because he hadn’t cared yesterday. Because the blood on his hands had felt natural. Because yesterday, nothing could have made him feel bad about himself. Because he had felt powerful, for the first time in his life. Because maybe the horror at what he’d done hadn’t outweighed the euphoria that came with taking a life.  
He clawed his hands into his hair and pulled, wanting to feel something, wanting to know he was still there, he still occupied his body, not Edward Smith, not Mad Teddy or whatever ridiculous nickname Kray could come up with. He was Eggsy Unwin, he was almost a Kingsman, and he was sitting in the shittiest shower ever, crying his fucking eyes out, like he should. He did nothing to hold back his sobs, there was no one around to hear them anyway. 

****

It was only when the water started to get cold, that Eggsy started to feel normal again. Well, the closest thing to normal he could manage right now. The panic from earlier got replaced little by little by nerves, because something Ronnie said yesterday finally dawned on him: he was going to meet Reginald Kray, another thing that had gone lost in the haze of the things that happened yesterday. 

With that realisation came another one, and it made him feel a little ridiculous, because he only now realised that the reason Ronnie had been so curt this morning was because he was probably dealing with the dead body that Eggsy was responsible for. Shit. 

And he would have to call Kingsman and make up an excuse why he hadn’t called yesterday. Because there was no way in hell he was going to tell Merlin or Harry that he had not only killed a man, but had also gone home with Ronnie. They didn’t need to know either of those things. 

Eventually he decided not to call at all.

****

He ate breakfast, or rather lunch; it was one in the afternoon when he finally had pulled himself together enough to actually get out of the shower and put some clean clothes on. He had two and a half hours before he would need to leave for Ronnie’s house. What would he have done with this kind of downtime when he still lived at home? Or when he was at Kingsman? Probably hang with Jamal, or take J.B. out for a walk. He missed the little pug. He missed lots of things about Kingsman, bantering with Roxy, training with knives and guns and being actually good at it for once, seeing Harry’s small smiles of approval, and Merlin’s shiny head. The last thought made him laugh. Jesus, he was an emotional wreck. 

He lifted his mattress and took out the bills he had hidden there. Five thousand pounds. He still couldn’t quite believe it. It was the most money he had ever owned. He had to get it to his mum somehow, but he’d rather not send it in the post, afraid that Dean would find it and spend it all on booze or worse. He would just have to go by his old flat someday and wait until he saw Dean leave, then slip the money through the mail slot on the door, and ring the doorbell and run. It seemed the safest option. But that was for later.

He was wearing a simple grey t-shirt, which he replaced by one of his white collared ones, to go with another one of the cheap-looking suits. He wasn’t sure if he was going to meet Reginald _today_ , but it didn’t hurt to look at least somewhat presentable. Why did Ronnie always have to be so fucking vague?

As always, he holstered his guns, only now realising that he had left his Kingsman knife behind in the body of Jimmy Harvers. Shit. Another thing he would one day have to explain to Merlin. He looked in the weapon drawer, and found another one, a smaller one unfortunately. He took out the gun Ronnie had given him and placed in the drawer, preferring to use Kingsman-guns. They were more familiar, and he resented using the gun of the guy he was replacing. It was a constant reminder that he, too, was replaceable, at least when it came to work. He didn’t know about Ronnie’s personal life, though if this morning was any indication, he wasn’t the sentimental type.

He paced up and down the small space until it was time to leave. Well, it was still a bit early, he’d just have to walk slow. It gave him time to shake of Eggsy Unwin and become Mad Teddy again. 

He quite liked the thought.

****

He rang the doorbell and leaned against the wall with one hand, waiting for the door to open. He felt confident, slightly cocky even, a shit eating grin on his face that came entirely natural. The door swung open, and there was no trace left of the curtness from earlier. Ronnie smiled at him and stepped back so Eggsy could go in. As he closed the door behind Eggsy, Eggsy turned to look at him. He was happy to see him again, even if it had only been a few hours since he left. “Hi,” he said, sounding very flirty. 

By accident, of course. Ahum.

“Good afternoon,” Ronnie said, grinning. “Follow me,” he opened the door to the right, which apparently led to the living room. 

Wow. 

The room was large, well furnished, and everything about it just oozed class. Not unlike Harry’s house. 

“Sit down,” Ronnie said, nodding to the couch. “Drink?” 

“Sure. Thanks.” 

Ronnie poured two glasses of scotch and sat down next to him, handing him his glass. He immediately got up again, as if suddenly remembering something. “I’ve got something for you,” he said, and took something out of his inner pocket. 

It was the Kingsman knife. 

“No one will even find a trace of blood on this thing, I assure you. Thought you might want it back.” He handed it over. 

“Thank you,” Eggsy said, surprised. He hadn’t expected ever seeing the knife again, and was incredibly glad he had it back. This meant one less awkward conversation with Merlin.

“And the rest is taken care off as well.” _The rest_ of course being the fucking dead body. Eggsy nodded gratefully, hopefully looking unimpressed enough that Ronnie would believe it really wasn’t a big deal to him. 

“Anyway, I think you’ve proven to be a valuable member of the team,” Ronnie said, as if this wasn’t a really sudden change of topic, “so you’ll meet some of the other guys tomorrow. My business partners so to speak.” 

“Oh. Alright.” 

“But, and I’m sorry to say this,” he didn’t sound sorry at all, “your suits all look like shit.” 

Eggsy agreed, but looked down at himself as if slightly offended. “What’s wrong with ma suit?” he asked.

“Everything.” Ronnie sounded amused. “So I propose we go get you a new one.” 

“I left my money at home. I didn’t know we would-" 

“Not that again.” Ronnie rolled his eyes. “See it as an investment, from employer to employee, okay? Now finish your drink, the taxi will be here any minute.”

Eggsy did as he was told, a bit too enthusiastically maybe, since half the scotch ended up in his lungs, and got up, coughing profusely. Ronnie hit him on the back a couple of times, until Eggsy could breathe again and stutteed out a thank you. 

A car honked outside. “Come on,” Ronnie said, grabbing his coat, and they went outside where a taxi was waiting for them. 

“Where are we going?” Eggsy asked, getting in. 

“Savile Row of course.” 

Savile Row. 

Kingsman. 

He was fucked.

****

Harry had stepped into Merlin’s office seconds after Eggsy had arrived home. Thank God. That was not a conversation Merlin wanted to have with his oldest friend. Merlin felt that it was up to Eggsy to decide whether or not he wanted Harry (and Merlin) to know. So he only told Harry that Eggsy had been to a restaurant, and that there hadn’t been any news, or the boy would have called. 

They watched Eggsy go to Ronnie Kray’s house, surprised that he didn’t film anything, when the little red dot started making its way through the streets at a much faster pace than usual. He was in a car then. Suddenly, the glasses feed switched on. He was in a taxi, and Ronnie Kray was sitting beside him. The glasses turned to the window, very obviously looking at street signs, as if Eggsy tried to tell them something. He didn’t seem in distress, surely he would have signalled that somehow, and Ronnie seemed to be chatting to him, not threatening him, so it had to be something else. 

Harry realised before Merlin did. “They are coming here.” 

It did look like it, the dot approaching Kingsman’s shop at a steady pace. But why? 

“You don’t think that….?” Merlin didn’t have to finish that sentence. Harry was watching the screen with furrowed eyebrows. In the glasses feed, Eggsy was looking down at his lap, gently tugging at his suit. Again. Again. Looking up at the streets outside, that got more familiar by the minute. Looking at his suit again. 

“They are coming to buy a suit,” Harry said, making it almost sound like a question. 

Merlin started looking something up in one of his huge databases. “Makes sense. Ronald and Reginald both own a Kingsman-made suit.” It wasn’t exactly a strange occurrence to have actual clients in the shop, after all the suits Kingsman made were top-notch. But it was the coincidence of all of this that made it so strange. 

“We need to keep everyone from recognizing Eggsy,” Harry realised.

Not a second later, Merlin was making a call. “Merlin here, a recruit of ours will come in any minute, it is of utter importance you pretend to have never seen him before, the same goes for any other employee that might be in.” 

Everyone working the shop was Kingsman trained, so they didn’t ask any questions at this request. 

“If you want to talk to Eggsy, it might be a good idea to go down to the shop immediately,” Merlin said. 

Harry nodded, and left. Indeed.

****

Eggsy could only pray they had gotten the hint. If the person working the shop right now would greet him with an enthusiastic “Hello Eggsy,” he would be a dead man. 

He feared the worst when he pushed open the doors to the shop, but luckily the man behind the counter – the one who had measured him for his first suit – didn’t seem to recognize him at all. Great acting. 

Ronnie went up the counter, explaining that they needed Eggsy to be measured for a proper suit. The doors in the back opened and – oh fuck – Harry walked in. 

The man behind the counter pointed Harry towards Eggsy, and Harry gestured Eggsy to the dressing room. “Good afternoon, Mr…?” 

“Smith,” Eggsy said, sounding miserable. 

Harry pushed the door open and let Eggsy in, following him and closing the door. 

“How are things going?” was the immediate question.

The room was small, seemingly smaller than when he’d gotten measured here the first time. There was something about the proximity that was way too intimate. It made not having eye contact impossible. 

Eggsy shrugged. “Quite well, I think. I mean, he said my suits are shit and I need a real one if I wanna meet the others. So that is today. Or tomorrow or whenever the suit is done I guess.”

“Have you met Reginald?”

“No, I’ll probably meet him when I meet the others, I don’t know. He hasn’t even officially told me he even has a fucking brother, so I really can’t ask him about that can I? He has mentioned a ‘Reg’, but didn’t say who it was, so… yeah” it wasn’t a very good excuse, he knew it. But he wasn’t about to say that the reason he hadn’t asked on about ‘Reg’ was because he had just killed a person. 

“When you do meet him, at least you’ll be wearing a suit of ours, so that’s a good thing. Just try to film as much of his house as possible, we might need a floorplan of the building, if you find out that he does have weapons in his house. Also, the more faces we have of the others working for the twins, the better. We might need their testimonies, and if we have things on them that could land them in jail for a long time, they might be more easily persuaded to give those testimonies.”

“Okay, I’ll do my best.” 

“I know you will.” The following silence was heavy, awkward. Harry didn’t say anything about yesterday, about the kiss that Eggsy was painfully aware had been caught on camera. He was grateful for it. 

Harry cleared his throat, as if to say something, but just let his eyes wander over Eggsy’s body as if searching for something. “Are you okay?” he asked.

The question surprised Eggsy. “I am,” he said quickly. Why wouldn’t he be? Because of the kiss? They had all known it was a honeypot mission, so there should really be no surprise there. Or was it obvious how uncomfortable he felt, standing so close to Harry?

Harry didn’t say anything, instead looking at his watch.

“I think we have been in here long enough. We obviously have your measurements and will make sure your suit is done tomorrow. To speed things up. With the Krays.” Harry seemed nervous, which wasn’t like him. Eggsy remembered the way he had said countless times to be careful, and wondered if Harry really believed in this mission at all. On the other hand, it had been Harry who had given his okay for this, for sending a recruit in instead of a proper agent. 

“Let’s go outside. Mr Smith.” The cheerful tone in his voice at Eggsy’s undercover-name sounded forced, as did his “All done, we only have to pick a fabric now.” 

Eggsy followed Harry to the table with all the different fabrics on it, listening with half an ear to Harry talk about the way the colours and patterns would look on his body. He was looking at Ronnie, who seemed to be looking at cufflinks, but looked up every few seconds to watch Eggsy. Eggsy smiled at him, pulling a face that said ‘please help me’, and Ronnie made his way over to their table to put a stop to the seemingly endless stream of possible combinations of fabrics and colours. Harry stopped talking as he approached, taking a step back to let his client take a look. 

“This one, what do you think, Teddy?” Ronnie pointed at a dark fabric, a simple pinstripe that looked very elegant. He put his hand on the small of Eggsy’s back. Eggsy tried not to tense at that, instead leaning into the touch a bit.

“Sure,” Eggsy said, “I know nothing about all this. And you have better taste than I do anyway.” He gestured at himself and Ronnie, “obviously.” He winked, surprised at how easy the flirtations came out. Ronnie let his hand slide all the way around Eggsy’s side and pulled him closer with a smile. “I don’t know about that,” he mumbled, his lips very close to Eggsy’s ear. Eggsy bit his bottom lip and grinned at Ronnie. Then he looked back at Harry, pretending to be not at all embarrassed about his shameless bit of flirting right in front of a ‘stranger’, and said “Yes, this one please,” pointing at the fabric Ronnie had chosen.

Harry gave them both a polite nod “Excellent choice, Sir. We will prioritize your order, you will be able to pick it up tomorrow. Is there a number we can call?” 

Ronnie went to the register with him to give his information, and Eggsy waited for him at the door. Had Harry looked annoyed at him and Ronnie flirting? Harry was perfectly composed most times, but sometimes he lost control, like that time in the pub when one remark had sent him over the edge and had him beating the shit out of multiple men. Not that Eggsy minded, in fact it had made him immediately trust and respect this man he knew nothing about. 

But now, he didn’t know what to think. 

Ronnie finished up and they went outside, where the taxi was still waiting for them. It was only when they had been in the car for a couple of minutes that Eggsy finally remembered to tap his glasses again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that not a lot happens in this chapter, but I felt that it was necessary for Eggsy to properly let it sink in what he's done. Also, most things in this chapter set up the next chapter, which will be much more fun I promise! And we will finally meet Reggie (I know I said this before, but the chapter would have gotten way out of hand if I'd done it here, I swear he will feature in the next chapter). 
> 
> I really like Merlin, and I just wanted him to have two fluffy friends.
> 
> Lastly, thank you all for reading, and for the nice comments! Every single one makes me bury my face in my hands like a girl from an 80's rom-com, whose quarterback-crush just winked at her for the first time. So thank you!


	9. The second Kray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally meet Reggie, woohoooo. But first, we meet someone else....

They didn’t go home after their trip to the tailors. Instead, Ronnie told the driver to drop them off at another one of the pubs he owned. It was not even six yet, but that didn’t keep them from sitting down at the bar and ordering beer. 

The pub was smaller than The Regal, in a more middleclass neighbourhood. The people drinking here (and there were many people drinking alcohol despite the time of day) were dressed more like Eggsy than Ronnie, and seemed more interested in their drinks than in the atmosphere. The entire place felt different from The Regal. 

Eggsy felt more at home here. 

He took a gulp of his beer and looked for something to strike up a conversation. This was nice and all, but he shouldn’t forget the reason he was here. He needed to find out as much as possible about the Kray Twins’ illegal businesses. 

“How many pubs do you own?” he asked, enticing a laugh from Ronnie. 

“Why, you want to know where to go on your next pubcrawl?” he asked teasingly. 

Eggsy grinned and lightly pushed Ronnie’s shoulder. “Just wondering. I mean, you obviously do not need to do it for the money.” He hoped this wasn’t too forward. 

Ronnie just shrugged. “Need to have a reason for ‘aving money, right?” 

So, money laundering then. Good to know. 

“Besides, it’s fun.” His eyes narrowed, looking at something behind Eggsy. 

He started to turn around, but Ronnie held him by his wrist. 

“Don’t look,” he said, sounding calm but alert. “Some of the Richardson boys just came in. No reason to be alarmed, just watch out a bit, yeah? Have you got your weapons on you?” 

Eggsy nodded. He had the knife that Ronnie had given him back a few hours ago, and two guns, and by the way Ronnie’s suit looked a bit tight at the chest, he knew Ronnie had his holster on too. 

Ronnie let go of his wrist and nodded to the side discreetly. 

Eggsy turned his head as little as he could and observed the four men that had sat down at one of the tables. Four against two, if shit were to happen. He didn’t like these odds. 

Ronnie didn’t seem too worried; he just didn’t turn his back to the men, instead sitting with his side turned to the bar so he could see them from the corner of his eye.

Eggsy did the same. 

“So, just when we’re talking about fun…. Anyway, do you know who the Richardsons are?” 

Eggsy shook his head. The name did ring a bell, but then it was such a common name that that didn’t really mean anything. 

“Well, they are the leaders of a gang, the ‘Richardson Gang’ – zero points for originality if you ask me,” 

Eggsy couldn’t help but smile at that dry comment, 

“and they like to stir shit up with my brother and me. Try to expand their business into our turf, stuff like that. Like to nail folks they don’t like to the floor; real nasty business.” 

Eggsy hoped that was a metaphor of some kind, but knew it probably wasn’t. Jesus. 

“These are not the Richardsons themselves though, just some associates of ‘em. Nothing to worry about unless they pull out a gun. If they do, shoot first and aim right.” He sounded calm, almost bored, but there was a quiet urgency to his words as well. 

Eggsy realised that in this particular pub, in this area, there would be no others to back them up. The people here, the ones silently drinking away their sorrow about their miserable lives, were simply blue-collar workers, no associates of the Krays. If a fight were to ensue, it would be Eggsy and Ronnie against four others. Four others, who, as Ronnie just said, quite enjoyed a bit of torture. 

Fuck. 

Eggsy finished his beer faster than he usually would have, and got up. Ronnie still had some left, but got up anyway, just when one of the four men casually strolled to the bar. 

“Oh hello there, mister Kray. Is it Ronald or Reginald, I can never tell,” his tone was mocking, and he had that sure look on his face of a person that knows exactly he has the upper hand. 

Ronnie smiled, and the crazy look that had been gone for the past day was back in full swing. “You know exactly who I am, Cornell.” He put every bit of disdain he could manage into the name of the other man. 

Cornell’s eyes flickered over Eggsy’s body, his youthful face, his cheap suit. “Aaah, now I see it, you’re Ronald.” It was entirely clear what he meant, and it made Eggsy clench his fists in anger. He pushed his glasses up a bit, realising this could escalate real quick, and discreetly tapped them. Then he went to stand next to Ronnie, not liking how both he and Ronnie had their backs to the bar, giving Cornell an unimpressed look. It was strange how quickly he became Mad Teddy through and through. 

Going for his gun was a bad idea, since the situation hadn’t got out of hand yet. In fact, grabbing a weapon might be the thing that would send everything over the edge. He hated that he had nothing to protect himself with, though he knew that he was good with his fists as well, if need be. Also, Ronnie had – just like his brother – been a boxer in his youth. In hand to hand combat they would have an advantage. In literally any other kind of fight, they wouldn’t. 

Cornell let his gaze linger on Eggsy a bit more, verging on provocative. 

Eggsy met his stare, unblinking. 

Suddenly Ronnie swung his arm back, hooking it around Eggsy and pushing him behind his back. 

It was only then that Eggsy saw the gun suddenly in Cornell’s hand. 

Jesus. 

Within a second, Eggsy had both his guns pointed at the three men still sitting at the table, who all drew their guns as well. 

Ronnie and Cornell were staring each other down, each holding the other at gunpoint. Some patrons hurried out the door, others carefully got up and sat down somewhere further away from the line of fire. 

“Protective, are we?” Cornell said, raising his eyebrows knowingly. 

Ronnie didn’t answer. “You do know what shooting me would mean for you, George?” The calm in his voice was chilling, he talked about his own death with the ease of a man who didn’t hold human lives in the highest regards, not even his own. 

“Besides a raise?” the man asked. 

Ronnie laughed. “You won’t have long to enjoy your raise then, George. A couple of seconds, if you’re lucky.” He turned his head slightly to the side, where Eggsy still had the three men at gunpoint. “He’s quick, this one,” he said, and his voice promised that this was the absolute truth.

“Are you trying to talk your way out of a fight?” Cornell asked. 

Ronnie shrugged. “Yes.” 

“Why, you afraid to get the floors dirty?” Cornell’s tone was mocking.

“Exactly,” Ronnie said. There was a silent threat in the word, a promise that this was him giving Cornell a way out. His last chance to walk out of here unharmed.

“So he’s your bodyguard?” Cornell asked, looking at Eggsy once more, but in a different way. He was sizing him up, determining whether to believe the statement or not. Then he smiled a vicious smile looking back at Ronnie. “Have you shagged him yet, you fat poof?” 

For a moment, there was only silence. 

Eggsy’s heart was thumping in his chest, he was sure this was it, the shooting would begin. 

And then, Ronnie started laughing. 

“Jealous?” he asked, amused. “You don’t know what you’re missing, Cornell. Or maybe you do? We went to the same prison after all.” 

Cornell took a step forward, which didn’t make a whole lot of sense in a gunfight, but then no one had accused him of being very bright. Eggsy saw his chance and acted on it immediately, slipping his index fingers off the triggers of his guns and using both handles to smack against the back of Cornell’s wrist and the palm of his hand simultaneously. The movement made the man drop his gun, and Eggsy used his temporary vulnerability to take two large steps and swing his left arm around Cornell’s neck, turning him around so his back was pressed against Eggsy’s front, pressing one of his guns to the man’s temple with his right hand. Effectively using Cornell’s body as a shield, he twisted his wrist a bit to be able to point the gun in his left hand at the table where the three men now were at the edge of their seats, ready to get up any second. 

Cornell struggled, but Eggsy was strong: he put more pressure on the man’s neck, whispering “I’ll do it, mate, give me one fucking reason.” Even to his own ears it sounded sincere, and he realised he meant it. 

Ronnie laughed again, walking towards the men, two of which now had their guns aimed at Ronnie, one at Eggsy. Apparently the last person wasn’t that sure of his aim, because he looked unsure about the proximity of Eggsy’s head and Cornell’s. 

“Any takers?” Ronnie asked. 

Silence. 

“Then there is no problem here, is there?” 

Ronnie pulled out his second gun. “Are you taking care of the one on the left?” he asked calmly. At Eggsy’s affirmative “Mmmh”, he pointed his guns at the other two men.

“So here’s the deal, fellas.” Ronnie sounded threatening now. “You three are going to leave, and when I see you go around the corner, I might release this joker. If anyone tries anything, this one is dead, and the person who tried will not have to mourn for long, you understand?” 

The three men looked angry, but knew better than to take a Kray up on his word. Never turning their backs on Ronnie and Eggsy, they slowly walked out, keeping their guns aimed the whole time. When the door closed behind them, they hurried along the sidewalk, towards the corner. Ronnie went to the door and made sure they had turned the corner, then he slowly walked back to Cornell, smiling joylessly.

“George…” he said, getting so close their noses were almost touching. 

Cornell instinctively tried to move his head back, but Eggsy was pressed against his back, keeping him in place. 

He was glad Ronnie had never looked at him like that. Even during their first meeting, when Ronnie was less than amused, his eyes hadn’t radiated this kind of insanity. Ronnie was terrifying like this, unpredictable, dangerous. 

Eggsy wasn’t sure Cornell would get out of this alive. The bloody fool. He should’ve known better than to threaten Ronnie Kray. 

Ronnie tutted. “That was pretty stupid of you, Georgie, don’t you agree? Wanted to piss on your territory, did ya? Well, this pub is mine. This neighbourhood is mine. This city is mine. So if I ever see you around here again, if I ever hear a whisper that you are still in London, that will be the last thing anyone ever hears about you, do you understand? Now scurry off to your little friends and tell them what happens when you disrespect someone who is your superior in every way.” He gently patted Cornell’s cheek, and while Eggsy couldn’t see Cornell’s face he could feel the man flinch. 

“You haven’t paid yet,” Ronnie said cheerfully, and opened Cornell’s suit jacket, digging in his inner pockets. He pulled out a rather large stack of bills, and another gun as well. Then he nodded at Eggsy, and Eggsy slowly started moving, pushing Cornell towards the exit with his body while not loosening his arm around the man’s neck. When they were outside, he let him go, pointing his gun at the back of his head until he had rounded the corner. A hand was put on his shoulder, not startling him because he had heard Ronnie approach. He calmly looked at Ronnie, who was grinning from ear to ear, looking terribly pleased.

“Mad AND skilled. Those are the best ones.” 

The compliment made Eggsy grin as well. They made a great team. 

“I’ve got to get home, call Reggie and let him know about the little promise I made good old George, and about the Richardsons being their usual dickish selves.” Ronnie started walking, with his hand still on Eggsy’s shoulder, so the implication was clear. “And then maybe we can sit down without being fucking interrupted by some blokes who seriously overestimate themselves.” The way he didn’t seem worried in the slightest was attractive. For someone who according to Harry and Merlin was a sociopathic killer, he sure as hell had handled this with grace. Not a single drop of blood was spilled, and that was more than could be said for that time Harry had felt insulted in Eggsy’s presence. 

Not for the first time, Eggsy wondered if the things they had told him about the Krays really were that bad. 

Immediately, he tried to shake the thought. 

This was what made undercover work so hard, wasn’t it? Once you started to see the person behind the criminal, it was difficult to keep seeing the criminal at all. Eggsy knew what Ronnie had done, and probably would do in the future. He knew perfectly well what he was capable of. He knew that he deserved to be locked up. But he also knew that Ronnie had pushed Eggsy out of the way of gunfire, that Ronnie had made a dead body disappear that he could have proven Eggsy was responsible for, that he had bought him a suit, that he had kissed him in a way that had Eggsy wanting more. 

Ronnie hailed a taxi and gave the chauffeur his address. In the taxi he put his hand on Eggsy’s leg, and Eggsy intertwined his fingers with Ronnie’s. It felt good to be with someone who would protect you no matter what. Someone who valued you for your skills and not just because of a favour owed to a dead man. Someone who showed an interest in you beyond your usefulness.

It felt good to be wanted. 

****

Back at Ronnie’s house, Ronnie excused himself to call his brother about the Richardsons, which gave Eggsy the opportunity to snoop around a bit. Ronnie had gone upstairs, and Eggsy could hear the low mumble of his voice all the way to the living room, though he couldn’t understand what he was saying. 

A cupboard in the corner drew his attention. He got closer and took a look at the picture frames that were sitting on top of it, a picture of the two Kray brothers together, and one of the twins with a woman that had to be their mother. Although he knew that he would do the same when he had his own place, he thought it was rather cute that Ronnie had a picture of his mum in his living room. 

Making sure he could still hear Ronnie upstairs, he softly opened the cupboard. It was filled with books, a poker set (which he opened, just to be sure), envelopes, stationary and fountain pens. He even lightly tapped the sides to search for hidden compartments, but there were none. 

He softly walked to the next cupboard, but it only held plates and cutlery, vases and glasses. He then went into the kitchen, but immediately realised that he couldn’t hear Ronnie’s voice from there, and didn’t want to take the risk of being caught snooping, so he went into the hall, and softly opened the door facing the living room. It was another hallway, with two doors. He opened the first one, which led to a staircase into the cellar. He closed it again and opened the other one. It was a small bathroom, where he half-heartedly went through the cupboard, but there was nothing but towels and soap. Not like he had expected there to be weapons lying around, but it couldn’t hurt to check. 

He would have to find a way to check out the cellar, but with Ronnie’s phone call ending any second it was too risky. He quickly closed the doors again and went back into the living room, sitting down on the couch as if nothing had happened, and tapped his glasses, shutting off the feed. A few seconds later he heard Ronnie’s footsteps on the stairs. Luckily, living with Dean had trained him in keeping his facial expression perfectly neutral, so he wasn’t worried Ronnie would suspect anything. 

Ronnie came in. “Sorry about that. Took longer than expected. Dinner?” 

“Sounds good,” Eggsy said, and followed Ronnie into the kitchen. 

****

Ronnie turned out to be a great cook, even if he admitted to not cooking often. They had decided on making a simple pasta, chatting away while Eggsy helped with the simpler things, cutting vegetables and cleaning some dishes that were no longer needed. 

Eggsy found out that Ronnie was ten minutes younger than Reginald, had another brother who was seven years older, had enjoyed boxing in his youth, and that the family had lived next to two aunts for most of his childhood. Eggsy knew these things from the files he’d read about the Krays, but it was different to hear it from the man himself. Eggsy also talked about his youth a bit, partly fiction, partly real.

“What does your old man do?” Ronnie asked. 

“My dad? He died when I was five.” Eggsy said. Saying it hurt. “He was a marine.” 

Ronnie scoffed. “The government is good at that, isn’t it? Letting their people die in war.” He looked sincerely angry. “You know, me and Reg, we were drafted. Didn’t bother going though. Threw us in prison, they did. Not too bad, after all. We’re still here.” He shrugged. “Those people with their silver spoons, thinking they can ship eighteen year olds off to war. It isn’t their own lives they’re risking is it?” 

Eggsy nodded. It was eerily similar to the conversation he’d had with Harry, or rather, the fight they’d had. Weird how he sided more with a criminal on this than with someone who was the epitome of manners. 

After dinner, Eggsy offered to do the dishes, but Ronnie said the maid would do it in the morning. 

The maid. 

Of course he’d have a maid. He wasn’t exactly poor after all. 

They went to the living room again and sat down on the couch, and while they talked, Eggsy found himself scooting closer and closer to Ronnie without even meaning to. Eventually he gave up on trying to hold back, and just kind of threw one leg over Ronnie’s legs, sitting sideways on the couch a bit so he could put his head on Ronnie’s shoulder. Ronnie put his arm around Eggsy’s shoulder and Eggsy grabbed Ronnie’s other hand between his both hands, softly stroking his fingers. 

It was so domestic. 

So nice. 

So normal. 

Eggsy closed his eyes, and they just sat there for a long time, Ronnie running his fingers through Eggsy’s hair, Eggsy listening to Ronnie’s slow breathing and the soft sounds of his heartbeat.

He could see why it would be difficult to say no to a life like this. 

And Eggsy didn’t _want_ to get used to this, to feeling powerful through violence and fear, to getting insane amounts of money for a simple job, to eating at fancy restaurants and being driven everywhere. 

It wouldn’t last. 

It wasn’t real. 

Ronnie was his target, not his lover, but still. It was easy to get swept up in the luxury of this life. In the simple joy of being with someone who knew your life, at least in some ways. 

He would just enjoy it while it lasted.

****

Eventually Ronnie had gently shaken him to see if he was asleep, and they had gone upstairs. He didn’t know if it was because of the fear of being found out he had felt when going to Kingsman, or the confrontation between them and George Cornell, but he felt exhausted. Ronnie dug up an extra toothbrush from a drawer in his bathroom and handed it to Eggsy, a gesture that made him blush a bit. It felt like a big step, almost like getting your own drawer at someone’s place, even if he knew it was probably just so he wouldn’t smell absolutely rank the next morning. 

After he had brushed his teeth, he took off his clothes and slipped into the covers, waiting for Ronnie to get in as well. Ronnie approached, wearing soft pyjama bottoms but no shirt, and Eggsy sat up, reaching out to him. Ronnie got under the covers as well and put his arms around Eggsy’s waist, pulling him closer. They kissed lazily, their tongues cool and minty from the toothpaste. 

Then they lay down, and Eggsy put his head on Ronnie’s chest. He fell asleep within minutes. 

****

The next day, he woke up alone again. Apparently he had been really fucking tired, cause it was almost ten. Eggsy went to the bathroom and got dressed. He was just putting on his suit jacket when he heard Ronnie’s footsteps on the stairs. He smiled.  


“Come here, Eggsy!” 

The smile faded immediately, his insides going cold. 

He had been made. 

Almost on reflex his hand went to his inner pocket, where he had his knife. He heard Ronnie’s footsteps come closer. 

“Eddie! There you are!” 

Eggsy let go of the knife and forced a smile, his heart was pounding in his chest. 

Ronnie frowned at him. “What’s going on?” he asked suspicious. 

Eggsy was aware of how forced his smile must look, of how his fear must show on his face. “Am I going to meet Reginald today?” he asked, hoping that it would be enough to excuse his trembling hands and face drained of colour.

“Yes,” Ronnie said, still frowning. “What of it?” 

Eggsy made a show of avoiding his gaze for a bit and then biting his lip. “Well, it’s just that… you know…” He could feel he started to blush, and this time he was grateful for it. It gave a sense of authenticity to all of this. “How’s he gonna react? I mean, what are you gonna say about me?”

Ronnie huffed and turned around. “Hurry up.” He said. “Breakfast is ready. And Reggie doesn’t give a fuck. What makes you think he would?” 

Eggsy followed him out through the bedroom, glad the other man could not see his face. It gave him the chance to regulate his breathing, to fully recover from what had to be the biggest scare of his life. 

Well, tied to Merlin saying that one of them was hurdling through the air without a parachute. 

“It’s just that my stepdad… and the people from my old neighbourhood-“ 

“Well, we aren’t in your neighbourhood, we are in mine. And your stepdad sounds like a cunt.” 

Eggsy grinned at that. That was something they agreed on. 

“You’ll be fine,” Ronnie said, and turned a bit so he could squeeze Eggsy’s shoulder. The simple movement of reassurance did not only make Eggsy blush again, it also helped calm his nerves somewhat. He suddenly realized that it had not just been an excuse to give a reason for his odd behaviour: he had really been nervous about meeting the other Kray twin. 

They had breakfast and Ronnie informed him that they would probably go on a job mission in a few days, but that Reggie had wanted to meet him first. 

He and his wife would come by this afternoon. 

Around four o’clock, the doorbell rang. Ronnie went to open the door and when he came back he had a suit bag in his arms. “Try it on,” he said with a grin, pointing upstairs.

Eggsy took the bag and went upstairs, followed by Ronnie. He quickly shed his clothes again and carefully zipped open the bag. The suit looked wonderful; the same bulletproof material like the suit he was wearing now, but much more elegant. There was a crisp white dress shirt in there as well. He put it on and buttoned it up, the shirt fitting perfectly around his shoulders. 

The doorbell rang again. “Reg and Frances,” Ronnie mumbled, “Just come down when you’re ready, yeah? There’s shoes in the wardrobe, wear whatever fits.” He squeezed Eggsy’s shoulder again and went downstairs. 

Eggsy quickly put on his gun holster, trousers, and suit jacket, and closed the first button. It felt good to wear a proper suit again. He grabbed the first pair of shoes he saw, which fit surprisingly well, and ran a hand through his hair in an effort to make it look at least a bit presentable. 

The suit gave him confidence, somehow made it easier to get rid of Eggsy Unwin and become Teddy Smith. He felt relaxed when he smoothed down his suit and went downstairs. 

They all got up when he appeared in the doorway. 

“Good afternoon,” he said with a smile, greeting Frances first. “Edward Smith.” 

She shook his hand, “Frances Shea.” She had a round face and big brown eyes, looking every bit as innocent and beautiful as she had on the photos. She sounded shy and sweet, and her hands were soft, the grip weak.

He turned to Reginald, taking in the differences between him and his brother: the absence of glasses, the slightly slimmer face, the hair that wasn’t slicked back as neatly as Ronnie’s. They shook hands, both holding on with a firm grip, keeping eye contact as they said their names. 

“The suit looks good on you,” Ronnie commented, making Eggsy blush. Jesus, he had never been one for blushing, and this man made his cheeks flush with colour multiple times a day. 

“Thanks, Ronnie” he said with a grin. 

Frances was watching them with mild curiosity. She clapped her hands enthusiastically. “Do you want me to take a picture of you in your suit? It looks very handsome indeed.” She gestured towards a camera that was sitting on the table. 

“Sure, thank you,” Eggsy said. He would quite like having a picture of this. Plus, he hadn’t even seen himself in the suit yet. 

“The hallway has better light,” Reginald said, the same bored tone to his voice that Ronnie often had. 

Ronnie, Frances and Eggsy went into the hallway, where Ronnie pulled open a wardrobe to reveal a big mirror. Eggsy stepped in front of it, and looked at himself. The suit fit perfectly. It accentuated his flat stomach, while also showing off his broad shoulders and strong arms. He felt good. 

He turned around to where Frances was standing with the camera lifted. 

“Ronnie, join me,” he said cheerfully, and Ronnie went to stand next to him. He felt proud, proud of his suit, proud of the man next to him, proud of every damn thing he had ever accomplished. His smile was wide and genuine when Frances took the picture. 

****

Half an hour later, Frances was standing in Ronnie’s small garden, smelling the flowers that grew along the fences. Eggsy knew that if they were to discuss business it would be now. 

And indeed, after a look outside to make sure Frances wouldn’t hear them, Reggie turned to Eggsy and said “So, you’re the chap that’s killed Jimmy Harvers.” 

Eggsy had been expecting the question, so it didn’t make him flinch. “Yes,” he said nonchalantly. 

“Well done,” Reggie said. “And I heard about the situation with the Richardsons. Don’t like it much, them pissing on our turf.” He seemed lost in thought for a bit. “But it sounded like the two of you had it covered. I’m glad there wasn’t another body to get rid of.” He gave both of them a pointed look. 

Ronnie growled. “If I see him again there will be.” 

Reggie sighed. “Do want you must, just try to do it in a place that isn’t owned by us. I can do without the paperwork that comes with policemen sniffing around.” 

Eggsy was sure that this “paperwork” meant bribing those policemen, but he didn’t say anything. 

“More pressing matters.” Reggie said. “We have to move some stuff in a few days. Can you drive a car?” Eggsy grinned, just like he had done when Ronnie had asked him the same question. “I can,” he said. 

“Good. You’ll hear from Ronnie when it is time, I’m sure.” Something in his tone of voice told Eggsy he knew exactly what kind of relationship the two of them had, and it didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest. “Frances wanted to go out later. If you are up for it of course.” When both Ronnie and Eggsy shrugged, he sighed and said, “Teddy, why don’t you go tell Frances that she can pick a club?”

“Sure,” Eggsy said. He stood up and opened the sliding door to the garden, closing it behind him. It was clear Reggie wanted to talk to Ronnie alone. He took his time strolling to Frances, who looked up with a smile when he approached. Reggie had called him Teddy. Since he had introduced himself as Edward, this meant that Ronnie had talked about him before. Why did that make him feel so proud? 

“Hi,” Frances said. “Ronnie has a beautiful garden, don’t you agree?” 

Eggsy looked around. Most plants were in bloom, flowers of every colour lined the well maintained lawn. “He does,” he agreed. “Reginald said you wanted the four of us to go out? He wanted me to let you know you can pick a location.” 

“Oh, how wonderful! I wasn’t sure you and Ronnie would like to come!” She blushed a bit, and Eggsy understood why. “I mean… I didn’t mean to presume…” she looked genuinely embarrassed, even a bit frightened. 

“It’s okay,” Eggsy assured her. “We would love to go.” He hoped this use of ‘we’ confirmed her suspicions without him actually having to say it. 

She nodded, looking relieved. “You and Ronnie are… I just wanted to say that…. Reginald and I….” She shook her head, looking embarrassed again at her own stammering. “I just wanted to say that it is okay here.” She didn’t meet his eye. 

It. Homosexuality. 

“Thank you, Frances.” Eggsy said. “That is very nice of you to say. It means a lot.” He meant it. “Well, let’s go inside, shall we?” He figured he had given Ronnie and Reggie enough time to discuss whatever it was they had to talk about.

****

They all went out for dinner – Ronnie hadn’t been kidding when he said he rarely cooked – and Eggsy mainly just listened to Frances and Reggie talk about a trip to the countryside they had taken recently. He once again found himself wondering what Frances saw in Reggie, the hypocrisy of which wasn’t lost on him. 

But it was different though, with him and Ronnie. Frances was so sweet, so terribly innocent in everything she did. A proper lady. She didn’t belong in a world of murder and violence. 

Now Eggsy, Eggsy had always lived in that world. Sure, his criminal activity had been limited to petty crime and some break-ins, but still, the step from that life to this one was smaller, wasn’t it?

They went to a club after, one owned by the Krays, as Ronnie told him proudly. It was about as big as The Regal, but clearly meant for dancing rather than just drinking. There were sofas along the walls, many of which were occupied by men and women dressed to the nines. 

They made their way to one of the empty ones, close to the podium where a woman was singing an upbeat song. 

Before Eggsy could sit down, a hand held him back. 

Reggie. 

“Why don’t we go and get some drinks?” he said. It didn’t really sound like a question. Eggsy nodded and followed Reggie back to the bar they had just passed, while Ronnie and Frances sat down.

Reggie placed the order, and turned to Eggsy. “You’ve protected my brother on two occasions,” he said matter-of-factly. “That means a lot to me.” His facial expression was sincere. He extended his hand, and Eggsy shook it, slightly confused. 

“Welcome to the Firm.”

Eggsy grinned. He was officially a member of the Kray gang. 

They both grabbed two glasses and went back to the sofa, where Frances and Ronnie were waiting for them. 

****  
Eggsy had almost finished his beer when a slow song started. 

He was slightly startled when Ronnie grabbed his hand and pulled him up wordlessly. He followed him to the dancefloor, where Ronnie put his arms around his waist and pulled him close, grinning at him. 

Eggsy could feel that he started blushing. Again. He felt oddly proud of the way his ‘lover’ felt no shame at all at this very public display of –illegal- affection. He wrapped his arms around Ronnie’s neck, pressing their cheeks together. 

The song was melancholic, the female voice was soothing, slowly singing about her lover over the heavy tones of a piano. 

He closed his eyes. 

It was nice, dancing here with Ronnie, feeling the weight of his hands on his hips, the warmth of his body against his own. 

Very slowly, Ronnie was moving them around in a circle. Eggsy blushed profusely when he felt Ronnie’s lips nuzzle against his ear. He couldn’t help but smile at the casualness of the affection. 

“Do you see that man?” Ronnie whispered, his voice barely more than a breath against Eggsy’s ear. “Green tie, pinstripe suit, blond hair, ratty face?” 

Eggsy opened his eyes. “Yes,” he whispered, wondering where this was going. 

The man in question was leaning against a wall, surrounded by three very beautiful women, apparently amusing them with a very lively story, if the exaggerated movements of his arms were anything to go by. The women squealed and laughed, and the man looked as if he was in heaven. 

Ronnie brushed his lips against Eggsy’s ear once more. There was indifference in his voice when he whispered “That is Matthew Parston. I need you to kill him.” 

Eggsy’s heart dropped. 

How had he been upgraded from Ronnie’s piece of ass to his personal killing machine so quickly?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My spell-check was being weird, so if there are any glaring mistakes that I missed, please let me know!  
> I hope you enjoy!


	10. The argument

The phone rang, like it had every fucking hour ever since he got home. He didn’t answer. It had to be Kingsman, and he really didn’t feel like talking to any of them right now. 

They had stayed in the club for a long time, and it might’ve actually been fun, if it were not for Ronnie’s demand running through Eggsy’s head over and over again. He had to kill someone. Again. 

What was he supposed to do? If he told Harry and Merlin that Ronnie wanted him to kill someone, they would surely ask why. And then he would have to confess he had killed before, and hadn’t told them. Or he had to make up a lame excuse, perhaps that Ronnie had seen how skillful he was when he had disarmed George Cornell, something that he had transmitted through his glasses. 

And what would happen to him if he didn’t kill this Matthew Parston, whoever he was? 

He thought of Jimmy Harvers, and how he had done something to piss off the Krays. And now he was dead. By Eggsy’s hand, yes, but it hadn’t bothered Ronnie in the slightest, and they had been colleagues, for God knows how long.

This whole thing was such a mess. Not killing Parston could make Eggsy the next target, doing it would make him a murderer. Again. And as horrible as he felt about Jimmy Harvers, it had been self-defence. He wasn’t sure he could do it – kill someone – with intent. 

He should really tell Kingsman that he was officially accepted into the Kray-gang now. He should tell them lots of things. But somehow he couldn’t bring himself to pick up the phone, so he just sat on his bed, looking at the phone until it stopped ringing.

****

Merlin was getting annoyed. The real kind of annoyed, not like the light-hearted kind of annoyed sarcasm he used with his agents. The boy was home, had been home for hours in fact, and still didn’t bother to pick up the phone. 

Was it because it had been the third time Eggsy had slept over at Ronnie Kray’s house? 

Did the boy dread having to tell his mentor that the honeypot mission was a success? If so, Merlin was getting real tired of it. And he was getting tired of Harry as well. Still not feeling like it was his place to tell Harry about Eggsy’s sleeping habits, he had kept this a secret from him, but he didn’t know how long he could keep that up. Until now, Eggsy not calling had been a good sign in Merlin’s mind. Well, not good, but not bad either. If he was in trouble, he surely would have called. For now it just meant he hadn’t found anything of value. 

Yesterday, Merlin had received a video of Eggsy going through some of Kray’s stuff, sadly not finding anything. After that, there had been nothing. 

Why didn’t he pick up his fucking phone? 

****

The moment Harry turned the corner towards his office, he was cornered by Roxy. “Lancelot,” he said, slightly startled – he had been lost in thought. Thoughts of Eggsy, mostly. 

Entirely. 

Fuck. 

“Galahad,” she greeted earnestly, giving him a scrutinizing look. “Can I talk to you for a second? In your office?” 

He wasn’t sure what the meaning of this was. Lancelot had been Percival’s candidate, and if she had any mission-related questions it would make more sense for her to ask either Percival or Merlin about it. But he wasn’t one to send away a young agent, so he politely gestured towards his office and unlocked the door. He sat down and pushed some papers out of the way.

“Sit down, please” he said, noticing she was still standing behind the chair.

“Thank you.” She sat down. That scrutinizing look again, as if all his secrets were right there on his forehead, and she only had to narrow her eyes a bit to be able to read the small letters. 

“Galahad,” she said, and she sounded apologetic but determined at the same time, “I know this is none of my business, but I would appreciate an honest answer about this, even if that answer is that I should mind my own business and keep silent about it.” 

Where in the world was this going?

He nodded encouragingly anyway, prompting her to go on.

“Are you dating Eggsy?” 

Harry prided himself on having quite the poker face if he needed to, but in that moment all colour drained from his cheeks as if someone had pulled out a plug somewhere. 

“Excuse me?” His voice sounded a bit hoarse. He cleared his throat.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about!” her eyes spit fire. “Because I have seen the dog hairs on your clothes, and I know for a fact that you haven’t owned a dog since Mr Pickle!” 

For a moment he didn’t know what to say. Apparently she interpreted his silence as an admission, because her eyes got softer, as did her voice. “Is that why he quit? Because it would be too difficult for the both of you to know the other is in constant danger?” 

The question was very straightforward and detached, but Harry knew this was the key issue here: she wanted to know why Eggsy quit, a question that had been on her mind since he left, although she had never asked him about it. 

“I’m not dating Eggsy,” he said, finally regaining his ability to speak. He chose to ignore the slight eyebrow-raise. “I am, however, taking care of J.B. Hence the dog hairs. You know that Eggsy’s family isn’t in a great position financially, and he didn’t feel like he could return home with another mouth to feed.” He hoped this explanation made more sense to her than it did in his own ears. Why the hell would she jump to such a drastic conclusion anyway? Some hairs on his clothes, and that meant he was dating a man – a boy – half his age? Unless she knew something Harry di- 

He shook the thought immediately.

“Why hasn’t he contacted me then?” she asked, and suddenly there was genuine sadness in her voice.

Harry gave her a smile which he hoped looked compassionate. “The Unwin family has every reason to not want to have anything to do with Kingsman. Unfortunately I have to say I understand why he would not want to be in contact with any of us. For now. I’m sure he will come around, Lancelot.” He realised he hoped that what he said was true. The way Eggsy had sounded when he ‘left’ still haunted Harry. How genuine the accusations had sounded. How justified they were.

Roxy nodded. “I’m sorry, Galahad. I just… I don’t know. I still find it hard to accept he left. I’m really sorry for snapping at you like this, I was out of line. My apologies.” 

Harry waved his hand. “That is quite alright. I’m glad we cleared the air.” 

She nodded again and got up. “Heights-training,” she said quasi-cheerfully. It was all she had done in the last week; doing everything imaginable to get over her one weakness: her fear of heights. 

“Good luck,” he said, and showed her out. When he closed the door behind her, he let out a deep sight. 

Him and Eggsy. 

Dating. 

The thought alone was indecent, and wrong, and impure, and so, so wonderful. 

****

Eggsy contemplated asking Merlin to find out who Matthew Parston was. Maybe if he knew what the man had done, it would be easier to… No. of course not. Murder was never easy, it _should_ never be easy. Maybe he simply owed the Krays some money, and Eggsy could just break into his house and take whatever he owed, without having to do him harm. 

He had been mulling over all possible solutions since he had gotten home yesterday, his thoughts only interrupted by the phone ringing every hour on the hour, from eight in the morning until ten in the evening. It was maddening. But he didn’t know what to say, so he didn’t pick up. Merlin couldn’t know he was home anyway. 

Sometimes he thought it would be good to talk to Harry about this. Harry had killed, he knew what it was like. And innocents as well, he had to have had killed innocents. When freeing some important person who was kidnapped, how many bodyguards got a bullet to the brain? And were they all guilty of a crime? Or were they just guns for hire who might not even know what they were guarding?

Eggsy continued this routine of worrying, staring at the phone until it stopped ringing, pacing around his tiny flat, going outside when the place got too small, and going in again, for multiple days. Ronnie hadn’t given him a deadline, he had simply told him he needed him to kill this person, without giving any other details. Eggsy would have to talk to Ronnie eventually, even if it was only to find out the guy's address. And he had to find a way to go into the cellar. But how?

On the sixth day of this mess, Eggsy once again waited for the first phone call of the day to stop ringing, and called Ronnie. He picked up after he third ring.

“Kray.” 

“Hello, Teddy speaking. Can you give me some details about Parston?” 

“Sure, come over.” Ronnie hung up. 

****

It wasn’t often Merlin left Kingsman headquarters for a mission, and when he did, it was usually to be someone’s pilot. Not that this could really be called a mission: he hadn’t asked Arthur, hadn’t told anyone that he was leaving, and didn’t have any backup. He wouldn’t need it. 

Eggsy had left the flat a few minutes ago, at a few minutes past eight in the morning, and Merlin had ‘borrowed’ one of the Kingsman taxis to pay him a visit. Or rather, his flat. For five bloody days he had tried to contact Eggsy, and while he was home almost all the time, he hadn’t picked up. Merlin had considered the possibility that the phone could be broken, but that would only explain why Eggsy didn’t pick up. Not why he didn’t try to contact them himself. There were payphones everywhere in London. Not having a home phone was not an excuse.

He parked a few blocks from Eggsy’s flat, just in case Eggsy was still in the neighbourhood and would recognise the car. It had looked like he was leaving for Ronnie’s house, but Merlin couldn’t be too sure. It would have been foolish to wait until Eggsy actually arrived, since that would eat into the time Merlin had to search Eggsy’s flat. He didn’t like doing this, and he knew Harry would be furious, which was why he hadn’t told him.

He ran up the stairs to Eggsy’s flat, again reminded of his New Year’s resolution of a few years back to start exercising more. A resolution he had never come round to actually doing. 

He rang Eggsy’s doorbell, just in case, and waited for a few seconds, his ear pressed to the door. He heard no movement inside, so he opened the door with his spare key and went inside. 

He opened a few cabinets, noticing that Eggsy really hadn’t been eating here much, and went on to the wardrobe. It was foolish, really. What did he expect to find? There was probably a really good reason for Eggsy not calling, namely there not being any bloody news. He had hoped there would be nothing, and was slightly relieved that nothing weird had caught his eye yet. 

See, everything was fine.

Then he opened up a drawer and his worst fear became reality.

****

“Morning, Harry.” It had become a routine for Harry to come to Merlin’s office first thing in the morning to start pestering Merlin about Eggsy. Where was he, was he safe, was there any news… And Merlin gave him the same answer every day: there was no news, and if there was, he would let Harry know.

But today, things were different. It pained Merlin to admit, but there was news. And not the good kind.

“Please sit down, Harry”. 

Harry looked at him suspiciously, by now so used to Merlin spitting out a curt “no news!” and ushering him out of his office that this change of behaviour made his stomach clench painfully. 

“Is he in danger?” he asked, an urgency to his voice that made what Merlin was about to say all the more painful.

“Not that I’m aware of. Harry, sit down. Please.” 

Harry did as he was asked, looking worried. 

“Harry, what I’m about to say isn’t easy, and for our friendship’s sake I ask that you let me finish. Alright?” 

Harry nodded curtly, in a way that said “Bloody get on with it,” even if he was too polite to actually say the words.

“Eggsy hasn’t contacted Kingsman in a few days, as you know. However, he has been home a lot. I have been calling him every bloody hour in the last few days, and he never picks up.” 

Harry looked like he was about to interrupt, so Merlin continued. “Harry, please let me finish! I’ve been to his flat. Do you want to know what I found? Five thousand pounds, Harry.” Merlin’s voice was softer now, almost apologetic. “And a gun that isn’t ours.” 

“What are you trying to say?” Harry’s voice was hoarse with suppressed anger. 

“I’m saying that Ronnie can and will give Eggsy anything. And Eggsy is from a poor background, used to taking what he can, while he can.” Merlin tried to sound like he was simply stating a fact, all too aware of the silent accusation in the statement. 

“Are you saying he switched sides?”

“I’m saying that he could be tempted.” Merlin’s voice was calm, even if he felt anything but. 

Harry stood up, pacing around the room. “There has to be an explanation.” He sounded angry. “How dare you say he… We are not even talking about this!”

He stormed out, slamming the door behind him in a way that was entirely ungentlemanly – and entirely Harry Hart.

Merlin leaned back in his chair and took off his glasses, rubbing his tired eyes. He didn’t _want_ to talk about it either… But he knew they had to.

****

Eggsy used the walk to Ronnie’s place to shake off his impeding sense of dread and reassure himself that whatever the reason was that the Krays wanted Parston dead, there was probably a damn good reason for it. 

He rang the doorbell, and was surprised when Reginald opened the door. 

“Teddy,” he said with a nod, stepping back so Eggsy could come in.

“Good morning Mr Kray.” He followed Reginald into the living room, where Ronnie was sitting on the couch, going through some papers. He looked up with a smile. “Hello, Teddy.” 

“Morning, Ronnie.” It was ridiculous how seeing this man made him grin like an idiot. 

“Matthew Parston,” Ronnie said, gesturing next to him for Eggsy to sit down. Eggsy did, and Reginald sat down on his other side, making Eggsy the ham in a Kray-sandwich. He shook off the mental image this realisation gave him, and looked at the file Ronnie was holding. It looked a lot like- 

no scratch that, it _was_ a police record. Damn. Seemed that people were right when they said ‘money talks’.

“An associate of our dear friends the Richardsons. Has been threatening shopkeepers we protect, has been destroying some property in _our_ neighbourhood, is simply being the typical Richardson-prick. So he has to go.” He gave the file to Eggsy, who skimmed over it. 

“When do you want it to happen?” Eggsy asked, sounding strangely casual in his own ears. 

“Whenever you get the chance to, but sooner rather than later,” Reggie answered for Ronnie. 

“His address is in there,” Ronnie said, gesturing at the file. “Do you want your payment up front?” 

Eggsy swallowed hard. Was it weird that he hadn’t even realised he would get paid to do this? “Afterwards is fine. Fairer, isn’t it? Who knows what could go wrong.” And he intended it to go wrong. 

Ronnie shrugged. “I’m sure you’ll manage.” 

Eggsy got up. “Well, I’d better be off. Looks like I’ll be taking a stroll through his neighbourhood, check out the house and such. Better to check out his house in broad day light than lurk there at night. Might raise suspicion.” 

“I like the way you think,” Reggie commented dryly. 

Ronnie got up as well, and walked Eggsy to the door. 

“Is there anything in particular you want me to tell him? Or to take with me?” Eggsy asked, lingering in the doorway.

“No. This isn’t about money, or a debt. He doesn’t owe us anything. He just has to go.” 

Eggsy nodded. He alternated between feeling admiration and disgust for the way Ronnie talked about murders so casually. In this particular case it leaned more towards disgust. Parston was without a doubt a vile human being. Still, he wasn’t going to murder him. He just had to find a way not to.

“Let us know when it’s done, alright?” 

“Yeah, of course.” Eggsy stuffed the file under his suit jacket. “I’ll give you a call.” 

He left, wondering how the hell he was going to pull this off without becoming the next victim.

****

Merlin almost jumped out of his seat when the phone rang. “Yes?” 

“Merlin, it’s Eggsy. Is Harry there?” Eggsy secretly hoped he wasn’t. it would certainly make lying easier.

“No.” Harry hadn’t been back since he stormed out earlier, probably beating up some punching bags in the gym. 

“Oh, Okay. Well, eehm… there is… something you should know.” Eggsy sounded unsure, which was unusual for him, but Merlin was so glad the boy had finally called that he wasn’t bothered by it. “Yes Eggsy?” 

“Well, the thing is… I know I haven’t called, but there really just wasn’t something to tell, and now there is.” Jesus Eggsy, get your shit together, he told himself.

Merlin was starting to get suspicious. He wished Harry were here.

Eggsy continued. “They have only given me the last details today, so that’s why I’m calling now. Eehm… could you look into Matthew Parston for me?”

Merlin started typing immediately. “What about him?” He pulled up the file.

“Could you just tell me what he has done?” 

Merlin did as he was asked. 

What Ronnie just had said, and what he had been convicted for, was not nearly everything. His Kingsman-file was filled with violence, murder, kidnapping, and the kind of torture Ronnie had described yesterday (Jesus, the Richardsons were quite fond of their nail guns, weren’t they? Eggsy shuddered). He had been in prison, but not very long, not nearly long enough. But that was the British legal system: the most dangerous people were also the most dangerous to lock up, so it often didn’t really happen. Which was one of the reasons he was even doing this bloody mission: to have enough evidence against the Krays that no judge in the world would have them ever be released again. 

“So, what about him?” Merlin asked again. 

Eggsy sighed. “They want him dead, Merlin. And they want me to do it.” 

Pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place for Merlin. The gun. The money. It was all for this job. Thank God. 

“They gave me his police file this morning, so now I have his address and such. But according to his file he just has, you know, threatened some people who pay the Krays protection money and stuff. Not something worth killing over, right?” 

Merlin hummed. “Yes, the police files are not very accurate when it comes to the criminal records of people like this. Obviously the Krays know more than what it says on the police records. Like this: he was apparently involved in the murder of an associate of the Krays. Which is probably the real reason they want him gone. What are you going to do?”

There was a moment of silence.

“That is what I called about. What am I supposed to do? If I don’t kill him I will probably be next.” Eggsy sounded nervous, understandably.

Merlin had an idea. “Before you go to his house, you call me and tell me when you will be there. And then I will send a Kingsman-police car to come pick Parston up. An unhappy coincidence, so to speak, and you will have no choice but to abort your assignment and flee. Just rough him up a bit, so the Krays think you would actually have gone through with it. I will make sure that many people see him get arrested, so word will get out that he looked a bit rough.” 

Eggsy mulled it over for a bit. “Kingsman has police cars?” he sounded impressed. “Isn’t that illegal, some impersonating-an-officer-shit or something?” 

“Do you mind that it is illegal?” Merlin asked. 

Eggsy chuckled. “Fair point. All right, I have checked out his house this morning, and getting in shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Mhhmm.”

“If I make sure I’m at his house at nine, so the neighbours are still awake, but it is kind of darkish out, can you have the police arrive at ten past nine? That should be time enough.” 

“Very well, Eggsy. Be careful, you know what this man is capable of.”

“Yes.”

“And Eggsy? Next time you don’t have news, just call us to tell us exactly that. I’ve been calling you a lot.” 

“Oh.” Eggsy sounded uncomfortable. “Sorry, I… I wasn’t home a lot. Must’ve missed the call.”

It was a lie, and they both knew it, but Eggsy didn’t know that Merlin knew and Merlin couldn’t press the matter without admitting to tracking him, so he let it slide. 

“That’s okay. Good luck, Eggsy.” 

“Thank you, Merlin. Say hi to Harry for me, would you? And tell Harry to say hi to J.B.” 

“I will. Bye.”

“Bye.”

****

Eggsy was wearing one of his cheaper suits when he went to Matthew Parston’s house. If he was going to get blood on it anyway, he’d rather not wear the nice one Ronnie gave him. He had his guns on him, just in case, and his knife and a bit of rope. 

Parston lived in a dark brick terraced house, with two floors. The front door had a window to either side, behind one of which the light was on. 

The neighbourhood was a far cry from the one Ronnie lived in. Apparently, Parston was much lower on the crime-ladder.

It was not completely dark yet, and the many streetlights gave off enough light that Eggsy flipped his collar up, just in case someone would be looking outside and saw him. Not that he would actually be arrested for this, but he didn’t want to take any risks. It was best to avoid anyone seeing him break in. 

He doubted Parston would have an alarm system, but he was sure he had weapons in the house, so he had to make this quick: get in, punch the guy in the face a couple of times, and run as soon as he heard the sirens of the police car. 

He looked at his watch. It was almost time. 

The room to the right of the front door, the one with the light, had its curtains open, but he couldn’t see anyone inside. Parston lived alone, which was good, but Eggsy would really prefer to have eyes on him before he went in. 

He glanced at his watch again. He really had to go now. He casually rounded the corner of the street, ending up where the small backyards were. While most had a fence, they were the decorative kind more than the protective one. He could simply climb over it and let himself drop to the other side. 

The backside of the houses was almost identical to the front: two windows next to the door, and two windows above that, on the first floor. One of the lights on the first floor was on. The bathroom, probably. 

Eggsy decided to risk it. He would have to go in on the ground floor. The walls were too smooth to get any kind of grip on them with his hands anyway, and the drainpipe looked like it was about to collapse. Eggsy pulled his Kingsman knife and gently pressed down the handle of the back door. It was locked. A shame, but obviously not unexpected. 

Since this was not really meant to be a stealth job anyway, Eggsy braced himself and rammed his elbow through the glass of the window. The suit stopped any splinters of glass from entering his flesh, so it was only the force of the hit that hurt. The sound was not too loud, especially since it was not a very quiet neighbourhood, but if someone was in the house they surely would have heard. 

Eggsy reached in and opened the window, climbing into what turned out to be the kitchen. 

He pricked up his ears. There were footsteps on the stairs, very faint and careful, but unmistakably one person. Eggsy walked towards the door, positioning himself next to the door frame. His heart was thumping. Parston was armed, without a doubt. 

The door opened very slowly. 

Eggsy jumped into the doorway, needing only a fraction of a second to confirm his suspicion about Parston being armed, and roundhouse kicked the gun away. It went flying against the wall and fell on the floor. The man lunged forward, going for Eggsy’s knife, and Eggsy turned his body sideways, holding his knife out of reach and simultaneously swinging his elbow back to hit him in the face, making the man’s head whip back. Then he kneed him in the stomach, making him double over, and pressed the dull edge of the blade against his neck. 

“Sssssshhh. Quiet now. One word and you’re gone, you understand?” Adrenaline was rushing through him, making it feel as if it was not him who was saying these words, but someone else entirely, someone who was dangerous and cold-hearted, and didn’t give a shit about one human life. 

Someone like Ronnie Kray. 

Someone like Mad Teddy.

The man was gasping for air, but nodded. Eggsy’s kick had knocked the wind out of him. Eggsy wrapped his arm around the man’s neck like he had done to George Cornell a week earlier. He pushed Parston towards the table, using his foot to pull back a chair, and pushed him down onto it. 

“Don’t move,” he hissed, and pulled the rope out of his suit pocket. Suddenly, Parston moved his body to the left to avoid cutting himself on Eggsy’s knife, and jumped up, turning around and grabbing Eggsy’s wrist. Eggsy dropped the rope and punched him in the face as hard as he could. Parston was pulling him closer, he was much stronger than he had looked when Eggsy saw him in the club, and clenched his fist to hit Eggsy back. Within moments, Eggsy pulled out his gun and aimed it right between Parston’s eyes. 

“SIT! DOWN!” He screamed, not caring if the entire neighbourhood heard him. The ‘police’ would come soon either way. 

Parston let go of his wrist, but didn’t step back. Instead, he just looked at him, terribly unimpressed for someone whose nose was bleeding and who had a weapon aimed at their head. He smirked. The arsehole fucking smirked. 

“You’re Dean’s boy.” He said, growling. 

Eggsy’s breath hitched. 

The man knew him. He was fucked. 

Before he even realised he was doing it, Eggsy sidestepped the chair and plunged his knife into the man’s arm. Parston screamed in pain and surprise, and doubled over a bit, holding his wounded arm to his chest with his healthy one. There was a big gash in his arm, blood quickly pouring out onto his baby-blue shirt. 

“Sit down,” Eggsy said again. He was not Dean’s boy. He would never be Dean’s boy. Dean’s anything. Dean wasn’t family. He was just the shit-stain his mum somehow could not get rid of. 

This time, Parston obliged. Maybe he had finally realised that Eggsy wasn’t playing games. Or he had seen the look in Eggsy’s eyes, the look that promised he would not ask again. 

Eggsy went to stand behind the chair, pushing his gun to the back of Parston’s head, and leaned down to grab the rope. Then he wrapped it around the man’s body a couple of times with one hand, grabbed the other end as well, and pulled, so Parston’s arms were tied close to his body, and his body to the chair. Eggsy clicked the safety on, and gripped the gun between his knees, while he quickly put a knot in the rope. He tugged on it to make sure Parston would not be able to move, then he holstered his gun, loosely held his knife in his hand, and went to stand right in front of Parston. 

“Which Dean?” he asked, sounding threatening. He had to know if this guy really knew Dean, and if so, how.

“Dean Baker,” he said, looking awfully smug. “You are Muggsy, that ballerina-boy of his. Has he finally beaten the dancing out of ya, boy?” 

Eggsy smiled joylessly. “Oh, I never was much of a dancer. Gymnastics, yes.” He took a step back, letting his eyes linger on the man’s neck. “It allows me to do things like this.” He jumped forward, putting one foot on Parston’s knees and one on his shoulders, toppling him over so the chair stood on its back legs for a moment, before crashing to the floor. Eggsy jumped off mid-air, relishing the sound of the heavy ‘thud’ as Parston’s head made contact with the floor. Eggsy grabbed the back of the chair and put it upright again. 

Parston looked less cocky now. His head must hurt like hell. Good.

“Do you know why I’m here?” Eggsy asked, and now he was the one who sounded smug. 

Parston didn’t answer, just looked at him with quiet rage.

Eggsy leaned in closer. “I’m here,” he whispered, “because you pissed off Ronnie Kray.” 

Immediately, the angry look morphed into terror. 

It was incredibly satisfying. 

Eggsy let out a loud laugh that didn’t sound like himself. 

“You’re lying!” Parston spat, struggling against the rope. 

Eggsy shook his head, grinning. He was enjoying this. “Oh, my dear Matthew. I am not. I would tell you to say hello to the Richardsons, but since you will be six feet under soon, that would be an empty request, don’t you think?” 

Parston clenched his jaw, and his terror gave way to defiance. “Then do it, you fucking poof! Fucked your way all the way to the top, did you? Dean would be appalled! Muggsy the ballerina, now Ronnie Kray’s personal whore! Tell me, does he like it up the arse or do-“ 

Eggsy slapped him across the face with the back of his hand. “What did you call me?” His voice was trembling with rage, sounding much lower than it had ever sounded. 

Parston spat some blood onto the floor. When he grinned up at Eggsy there was blood all over his teeth, dribbling out of the corner of his mouth. “I called you a poof, you cocksucker. Dean was right about-“ 

The next hit was delivered with a closed fist, right on the eye. Parston’s head whipped back again, and he couldn’t open his eye anymore. He was still grinning. He was still talking. “Did Kray tire of the rent boys? Wanted someone to call his own? You think he-“ 

Eggsy had had enough. He took a step forward, leaning in so close he could smell the blood on Parston’s face. “All I know is, that if my mum ever has a bruise again, Dean will be your playmate in hell, and you can tell him that this is what happens when Ronnie Kray sends his regards.” He rested the tip of his knife against Parston’s neck, who visibly flinched. Slowly, he trailed down, until the tip was on the middle of Parston’s sternum. “Do you know Jimmy Harvers?” he whispered nonchalantly. It was oddly entrancing, this power play. Parston didn’t answer, but in the way he swallowed hard at the name, Eggsy knew he did. He leaned in even closer, so close that Parston would feel Eggsy’s breath on his face. “I killed him,” he whispered. “Exactly like this.” he pushed the knife the slightest bit. It pierced through Parston’s blood-soaked shirt, making the smallest of incisions on his sternum. 

Sirens started wailing in the distance, snapping him out of it. He grinned down at Parston. “Sounds like it is your lucky day,” he said cheerfully, and casually wiped his knife clean on Parston’s sleeve. “Maybe I’ll send the police a note with everything I know.” He put the knife in his inner pocket. “Do you think you’ll ever get out of prison? What was it again, murder, torture, something like that?” He wiped some imaginary dust off his suit as he straightened. “Maybe I’ll even spread a rumour that this was a lover’s quarrel gone awry. Ronnie’s old piece of ass versus his new one.” He laughed menacingly. “What would your colleagues think?” He gasped in mock-surprise. “What would the other inmates think?” Parston had gone pale, whether it was from the blood loss or from the threats, Eggsy didn’t know. He didn’t care, either. 

He took a mocking bow, and walked to the backdoor, as if he had all the time in the world. The police car was entering the street as he opened the door and disappeared in the backyard. He could hear the front door being kicked open as he climbed the fence with ease, and landed on the other side of it. With the nonchalance of someone taking a pleasant evening walk, he walked away. 

****

Harry was the first one to walk in. The man was tied to a chair, blood all over his shirt and face, eyes not completely open. Harry checked his pulse. Faint, but steady. 

There was a heavily bleeding gash in his arm where a knife had been stuck in. Self-defence, probably. The guy must have had a weapon on him, and Eggsy disarmed him the way he had been taught at Kingsman. Harry looked for the weapon. He didn’t see one. He skimmed over the other injuries. Parston had a black eye, one side of his face was bruised completely, and there was blood running out of his mouth. 

Harry took a better look. 

No way that was self-defence. The man had been tied to that chair before any of these facial injuries happened. 

Jesus. 

_Eggsy, what the fuck have you done?_

“Bring him back to Kingsman and patch him up. I want to question him.” He needed to find out what the fuck had happened. 

Harry couldn’t know it that moment, but his night was about to get even worse.

****

Merlin had decided it was best to send Harry in to retrieve Matthew Parston. If Eggsy hadn’t managed to get away in time, or –God forbid- had run into trouble, Harry could help him. He was, with the exception of Merlin and Arthur, the only agent who knew about this mission. 

His phone rang, once, with the distinct tune that meant the Kingsman database had been updated. Merlin was proud of things like this. He was the one who had installed this kind of alarm. Whenever something was updated that had any relation to the Krays, he would get this alert. It kept him from compulsively checking for updates the whole time. He clicked on the update. Matthew Parston, affiliated with a rival gang of the Krays, had been found- Shit. ‘More dead than alive’, were the exact words. 

Eggsy had gone overboard on this one. 

His heart sank as he read on, finding out he had been tied up as well. This was no self-defence then, or an evenly matched fight. It was Eggsy enjoying this. The thought made Merlin feel sick. 

Maybe there was an explanation.

God, he sounded like Harry. Wasn’t he the one who, just this morning, had expressed his concern over Eggsy going rogue? He would have to wait until Harry got back with the victim – with Matthew Parston. They would ask him what happened. Maybe it would make sense then. 

The alert pinged again, and when Merlin clicked the update, his world shattered around him.

****

His office door opened without the person knocking, and if the timing alone had not told him this, he would know now with certainty who it was. Harry walked in, pale as a sheet, and that was all the confirmation Merlin needed that Harry had come in to receive the same alert that Merlin had himself been staring at for the past few minutes. An alert that the known gangster Jimmy Harvers, indebted to the Krays, had been found dead. 

The knife he had been killed with was nowhere to be found, but the way the weapon had been twisted in, was Kingsman-taught. 

Harry sat down on the chair, trying really hard to remain his composure, opening and closing his mouth a couple of times, trying to speak. When the words finally came out, they sounded thick and strained “Maybe we DO need to talk about this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry :(
> 
> Also, apparently I am not capable of writing short chapters. Oops.


	11. The warning

Eggsy took the shortest way home, humming to himself quietly as he walked. 

He closed the door of his flat behind him and opened a window, to let the cool evening air in. His knuckles were turning blue, but he knew it was nothing compared to Parston’s eye socket. The pain in his elbow from breaking the glass was nothing compared to the pain Parston must feel from when his head crashed against the floor. 

He relished the memory of the way Parston’s eyes had gone wide with terror when he had said Ronnie’s name, the fear that showed in every fibre of his being when Eggsy had held the knife to his sternum and talked about Jimmy Harvers.

Parston was a fool. A fool for thinking that talking about Dean would – would do what? Scare Eggsy? Keep him from doing what he was about to do? Parston had started underestimating him the moment he recognised him, which had been his first mistake. 

His second mistake was the words he used. Dean’s ballerina boy…. The memory made Eggsy clench his fists. How could a person be so stupid? How could someone who was tied to a bloody chair, unarmed and helpless, throw insults at the person who had tied him up? How? Was it pride? One last act of defiance before dying? Had he thought that throwing insults at Eggsy would make his own impending death more honourable?

Poof, ballerina boy, cocksucker… the words were meant to hurt, and it made Eggsy angry to admit that they had. He had heard them from Dean so often. 

But that was the thing, wasn’t it? Dean had always said he was a good for nothing, lazy poof, and Eggsy hated that he was right, even if it was just about one thing. 

Because he had discovered something about himself, something that looking back, he had always known, just never dared to think. Growing up with Dean around had made him wary, had taught him to keep those feelings bottled up so far away they were like a war in a foreign country: dangerous, yes, but far away enough that it wouldn’t hurt him. He had stopped his gymnastic lessons because of this, after Dean had smirked something about a ‘sport for poofs’. He had stopped wearing his father’s medal because it was pink. 

Boys were not supposed to wear pink. 

Boys were not supposed to cry. 

Boys were not supposed to get emotional about their pets. 

There were many things boys were not supposed to do, and he had just broken the most important rule: boys do not fall in love with boys. 

Except they did. 

He sat down on the bed, with his face buried in his hands. He was in love. It was a chaotic kind of love, a dangerous kind of love, but love nonetheless. 

****

“Let’s just go over the facts,” Merlin said softly. 

Harry nodded without looking up. He hadn’t said anything after admitting they needed to talk. He had just let out a heavy sigh and stared at the floor, subconsciously shaking his head softly. 

“Eggsy gets tasked by the Krays to murder Matthew Parston, an associate of the rival gang, the Richardsons. He calls us about it, because he does not want to go through with it. We make up a plan, and I tell him to rough Parston up a bit. A bit. I’m pretty sure I said that. We then go to retrieve Parston, as per agreement, and find him tied to a chair, beaten to a pulp.” 

Harry winced a bit. “Are we a hundred percent sure it was him though? Can it not have been Kray? A last moment decision that he would go? Or at least go with him? Maybe it wasn’t just Eggsy…” he was grasping at straws, and he knew it. 

Merlin put his hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Eggsy went to Parston’s house straight from his flat. He could have called us if the plans had been changed. And I really don’t assume that Kray would randomly show up to join him.” He sighed. “I’m sorry Harry.” 

“There has to be a reason. Maybe…” Harry stopped himself, and Merlin knew why. Because there couldn’t have been a reason. Violence was needed in their field of work, quite often in fact, but there was no reason to use this kind of force against someone who was tied up, unable to fight back, unable to even defend himself. 

“And then a body is found floating on the Thames, a body that turns out to be Jimmy Harvers, who was rumored to have been indebted to the Krays. And he was killed with a Kingsman knife. The Kingsman way. And his wife, when informed of his death, breaks down and screams that it was the Krays.” Merlin paused, and grabbed the fax that had come through from the police station just after the update in the database. Having a Kingsman work at the police station proved to be worth it again and again. “She last saw him when he left the house to, and I quote what she told the police he said, ‘find that Kray-cunt, and put a bullet into him’. Now, what that means, is most likely that Harvers succeeded in finding Kray, but Eggsy got to him before Harvers could hurt Ronald.” He put down the fax and rubbed the back of his head. “Which was probably self-defense. Eggsy notices they are being followed, he turns around and sees Harvers. Either he recognizes him, or Harvers is armed. Either way, it is clear to Eggsy that Harvers is out to kill Ronald, and maybe Eggsy too. So he does what he is taught to do.” 

Harry nodded, trying to pull himself together. Merlin was stating the facts and assumptions in a very detached way, but Harry knew what was coming, because it had been on his mind all this time as well.

“And then he doesn’t bother calling us to tell us what he’s done. For whatever reason. Maybe he was ashamed. Maybe he just didn’t think we would ever find out. The body was put into the river, wrapped in some garbage bags weighed down with bricks. The bag initially sank, but then tore, releasing the bricks, making the body float to the surface.” Merlin paused again, worrying his lip. He had to say it now. For so long he had kept it a secret, out of respect for Eggsy, but now everything had changed. “And after the kill, Eggsy went home with Kray.” 

Harry looked up, a shocked expression on his face. “What?” he asked flatly. 

Merlin cleared his throat, not meeting Harry’s eyes. “Eggsy slept over at Kray’s, and has done so a couple of times after.” 

Harry nodded, obviously trying to not let his hurt show. “Why didn’t you tell me.”

It didn’t sound like a question. Not like an accusation either. It was like a realization that only hit him when he said it, that Merlin, his best friend of almost thirty years, had been lying by omission. 

“I felt like it was the least bit of privacy I could give the boy.” Merlin said quietly. He felt guilty about it, incredibly so. “In hindsight this is an error in judgement.” 

Harry swallowed visibly. Then he shook his head. “You were right not to tell me.” It sounded as if he was saying it more to convince himself than Merlin. He stood up and started pacing around. “What are we going to do now?” he asked.

“You mean: are we going to stop the mission?” 

Harry nodded.

Merlin wanted to say he didn’t know. Wanted to say that they needed more information. But then he turned to his screen, where the little dot labelled Eggsy had just started moving again. He was going to Ronnie’s house, no question about it. Merlin’s heart sank. “Probably.” 

****

Eggsy figured it was best if Ronnie found out from him that he hadn’t completed his mission. Who knew, maybe hearing the guy got arrested would make up for it. Eggsy hoped it did. 

The weight of his realization lay heavy on his mind. He was in love. For the first time in his life, he had admitted it to himself. 

He didn’t care that it would be almost eleven by the time he reached Ronnie’s place.

There were still lights on in the living room when Eggsy rang the doorbell, his heart pounding so hard he thought it might explode. He heard footsteps and took a deep breath, bracing himself for what he was about to do. Ronnie opened up, his annoyed facial expression changing to a pleasantly surprised one immediately when he saw Eggsy. “Teddy, what are you-“ 

Eggsy took a step forward and cupped Ronnie’s face in his hands, pressing his lips to Ronnie’s in a passionate kiss. For a moment it seemed as if Ronnie pulled away, startled by this sudden movement, but then he wrapped his arms around Eggsy’s waist and pulled him closer. 

Eggsy parted his lips a bit, and the feeling of Ronnie’s tongue touching his sent shivers down his spine. He caught Ronnie’s lower lip between his lips and pulled gently, let his lips slide over Ronnie’s and made their tongues meet again. Eggsy’s hands clawed at the soft, blue pullover Ronnie was wearing, moaning quietly. 

When they parted, he looked at Ronnie with a shy grin, cleared his throat, and closed the door behind himself. 

“Well, somebody read the papers,” Ronnie said, a cheeky grin on his face. 

The papers?

Ronnie laughed at his confused look. “Or maybe not. Come in.” 

Eggsy followed him to the living room, where Ronnie gestured at the papers on the table. Eggsy sat down on the couch and grabbed the papers, looking over the headlines while Ronnie poured two drinks. He sat down next to Eggsy, handing him one of the glasses. Scotch. The good stuff. 

Finally, the right headline caught Eggsy’s eye, and he skimmed the article. ‘Sexual offences act’…. ‘royal assent’….He stared at it for a moment, trying to comprehend what this meant. 

Ronnie took a sip and set his glass down on the table. He took the papers from Eggsy’s hands and tossed them back onto the table. “It has been announced a few hours ago, this is the evening edition of the papers. It means that homosexuality has been decriminalized. We,” he chuckled “can no longer go to jail for what we just did.” 

Eggsy’s eyes widened. “That is really good news.” He looked at Ronnie, who didn’t look very impressed.

Ronnie shrugged. “I never much cared what the government thought of it.” 

And that was the reason, wasn’t it? The reason Eggsy felt these flutters in his stomach when he thought of Ronnie. Because he genuinely didn’t care what others thought. Because he did what HE thought was right, not what the law told him was okay. Because he had had the courage to be open, even when being open about it was a punishable offence. Because he was brave, so incredibly brave. Because he had reflexively positioned himself between Eggsy and a drawn gun, because he had talked to Reggie about him and what he had said alone had been enough for Reggie to start trusting him, because he kissed back while they were standing in the doorway for the world to see, because he had slow danced with him in a crowded place when that act was still illegal, and forever frowned upon. Because he asked if Eggsy was okay with walking since he wasn’t wearing a coat, because he held the door open for him in the restaurant. Because he was so much more than his Kingsman file could ever describe. 

Because Eggsy had found out that despite everything he’d done, Ronnie Kray was worth loving. 

****

“What do we have so far? In terms of what could land them in jail?” Harry didn’t sound very hopeful. 

“Eggsy filmed breaking in at Jimmy Harvers place, but that incriminates him more than Ronnie, while it could maybe count as motive. And he could have filmed Ronnie telling him to kill Parston, but he didn’t.” For reasons Merlin didn’t want to think about. “So we only have George Cornell and three others pointing their guns at Kray and Eggsy, and them pointing theirs right back. Which isn’t much either. And the only thing he sent me from Ronnie Kray’s house only showed us that there were no weapons there. Though he hasn’t been in the cellar yet, which seems to me the obvious location for things like that, rather than the living room.”

“So, nothing.” Harry rubbed his eyes. “We have to contact Eggsy. Find out what’s going on. Find out if he…” he took a deep breath. “If he is still on our side.” His voice was unbearably sad, and his entire body seemed to deflate when he said the words. “And if not… if he did all of this – the murder, the… torture – because he enjoyed it…” He stifled a sob. “Eggsy might go to jail.” 

****

Eggsy finished his scotch much faster than he probably should, but he was nervous. Ronnie was in a pretty good mood, but he had seen before how fast this could change into insanity. He had to tell him this. Better to find it out from him than from someone else. 

“Oh fuck,” Eggsy said, as if only now remembering. “I actually came by because I have news.” He didn’t say ‘bad news’. It seemed stupid to steer Ronnie’s reaction towards the negative. “I went to Matthew Parston’s house tonight. Best to get it over with quickly, ya know?” 

Ronnie raised an eyebrow. 

“And I was inside, had ‘im disarmed and e’ryfin, when the fucking cops arrived.” He carefully looked at Ronnie, who was watching him intensely. “They didn’t see me or nofin, I got away, but the point is, I don’t think they were there to get me. They would’ve put someone at the backdoor then, right? If they’d seen me go in?” 

Ronnie was silent for a moment. “You think they were there to arrest him?” 

Eggsy nodded. “Must be, right? They-“ he was interrupted by the phone. 

“Excuse me,” Ronnie said, and went upstairs to pick up. Eggsy heard the low murmur of his voice and a loud laugh. Then Ronnie’s footsteps were on the stairs again. He was laughing as he went into the living room. “Reggie,” he said, gesturing at above. “To tell me that Parston was dragged outta his home by the coppers, looking as if he’d been run over by a fucking train.” He looked terrible amused. “Like to play with ya food, do you?” He chuckled, sitting down next to Eggsy again. 

Eggsy felt a bit embarrassed. “I thought shooting him would be the surest way to alert the cops. Ironically enough.” 

Ronnie laughed again. He was buying it, thank God. “Well, he’s off the street anyway. Evidently the Richardsons aren’t quite as good at protecting their henchmen as we are.” He sounded proud. Then he leaned in closer. “So… since that is over with, you must be terribly bored now.” He licked his lips. 

Eggsy grinned. “Oh yes, I just don’t know what to do with myself anymore.” 

Ronnie brushed his lips against Eggsy’s ear. “Well, luckily I do.” 

“Oh really?” Eggsy asked flirty, biting his lip. “something like this?” He placed his hand at the back of Ronnie’s neck and pulled him closer, until their lips were almost touching. Then he swung his leg over Ronnie’s, straddling his lap, and wrapped his arms around Ronnie’s neck, still hovering close to his lips without actually kissing him. 

Ronnie’s pupils got bigger, and Eggsy relished the effect he had on his… his lover. The thought made him grin. 

Ronnie leaned in, but Eggsy pulled back teasingly. “You haven’t answered my question. Something like this?” 

Ronnie growled. “Yes, something like that.” His voice was hoarse. 

Eggsy ran his hands through Ronnie’s hair, touched the skin under his ears with his fingertips, enjoyed the small shiver that ran through Ronnie’s body at the touch. Finally, he leaned in and softly kissed the corner of Ronnie’s mouth. 

Ronnie moaned and turned his head, catching Eggsy’s lip between his own. Their lips moved together so perfectly, Eggsy never wanted it to stop. Ronnie parted his lips ever so slightly, and Eggsy explored his lips with his tongue, pushed in softly and was met by Ronnie’s. 

Eggsy pulled away to catch his breath a bit, pressing slow kisses to the soft skin under Ronnie’s ear, kissing down to his neck, biting softly at the skin of his neck and his collarbone. Eggsy shifted a bit and the movement brought a moan to his own lips. By the way Ronnie’s breath hitched, he knew it had the same effect on him. Eggsy pushed his hips forward, with purpose this time. He was starting to get hard, and so was Ronnie. He kissed him again, a hard, hungry kiss, all deep movements and tongue. 

“Bedroom,” Ronnie panted, and Eggsy slid off his lap and pulled him up. He clasped Ronnie’s hand hard as they quickly bolted up the stairs. Neither one of them bothered closing the bedroom door, too caught up in where this was headed. 

Eggsy put his hands on Ronnie’s chest and pushed him backwards towards the bed, pushing him down when Ronnie’s legs hit the edge of the bed. He leaned over Ronnie, with his knees next to Ronnie’s hips, his hands next to his head, nibbling at his lips playfully. Eggsy pulled back and gently took off Ronnie’s glasses, putting them on the nightstand, followed by his own. Then he let his hands slide over Ronnie’s strong body, from his shoulders to his chest, which was rapidly rising and falling with every shallow breath he was taking, to his stomach, to the waistband of his trousers. He slipped his hands under the sweater, trailing the same route back over Ronnie’s hot skin, pushing the sweater up in the process. 

Ronnie sat up a bit and stretched his arms over his head to allow Eggsy to pull the sweater off. 

Eggsy grabbed Ronnie’s hands and pushed them down on the bed, so Ronnie was all stretched out, his chest like an empty canvas just begging to be filled. Eggsy kissed a trail down from Ronnie’s mouth to his chin, over his neck, to his chest, biting lightly at the skin of his chest, sucking marks. 

Ronnie’s chest rose as he arched his back in enjoyment. “God, Teddy!”. 

Encouraged, Eggsy kissed even more down, following the trail of hairs from Ronnie’s chest to the waistband. There, Eggsy stopped and sat up again, grinning satisfied at the desperate look on Ronnie’s face. “Don’t stop now,” he pleaded. 

It felt good to have him so utterly and completely at his mercy. Eggsy unbuckled Ronnie’s belt and unbuttoned the trousers. He got off the bed and took off his own suit jacket. The knife, with dried up blood on the handle, fell out of the inner pocket, and landed on the floor. 

“Leave it,” Ronnie growled. 

Eggsy unbuckled his holster and dropped it next to the knife.

Meanwhile, Ronnie was toeing off his shoes and socks. 

Eggsy pulled Ronnie’s trousers off, unbuttoned his own shirt and let it slide off his shoulders. His elbow was covered with a purple-greenish bruise that would probably be visible for weeks. Some smaller bruises on his wrist showed where Parston had grabbed him. Eggsy took off his shoes and socks, and looked down at Ronnie, who was laying back, watching him get undressed. The lust in his eyes was unmistakable. When Eggsy pushed his own trousers down, he saw that his knee was bruised a bit as well. Weird, he hadn’t even felt the pain of his injuries. Adrenaline was a funny thing. 

He climbed onto the bed again, sitting on his knees next to Ronnie. He took Ronnie’s hand and pulled him up. Ronnie got to his knees as well, and they put their arms around each other, a hot and sweaty embrace, with their body’s pressed tight to each other, exchanging hungry kisses. Their erections were pressed against each other, only separated by their underwear. 

Ronnie’s hands wandered down on Eggsy’s back, squeezing Eggsy’s bum playfully. It made Eggsy laugh. 

He pinched Ronnie’s bum in return. 

“Cheeky,” Ronnie mumbled, slowly pushing Eggsy’s pants down. Eggsy gasped when the fabric brushed over the sensitive tip of his penis. He sat down to pull the pants off completely, and was pulled back up by Ronnie, who kissed his neck and chest for a bit, before softly pushing Eggsy away a little and using his hands to turn Eggsy around. 

Eggsy put his hands down on the mattress, sitting on hands and knees. He twisted his back to look over his shoulder to Ronnie, who was taking off his pants and grabbed the lube. 

It was even better now he knew what to expect. 

Ronnie pushed one finger in, taking his time moving in and out to let Eggsy get adjusted. It was good, so good, but Eggsy wanted more. He moaned, not caring it was loud. 

Ronnie added a second finger, and the stretch made Eggsy shiver and moan with pleasure. “Oh yes,” he panted. “Yes, Ronnie.” 

Ronnie moved his fingers inside Eggsy’s body in a way that made Eggsy’s eyes flutter shut. 

“Fuck me, Ronnie,” he moaned. He had never begged for it before. 

A hoarse sound escaped Ronnie’s mouth, but he didn’t immediately give in to the request. He pulled his fingers out a bit, and when he pushed in again, there were three fingers stroking Eggsy, touching that particular spot that gave him goose bumps all over.  
Finally, Ronnie pulled his fingers out and positioned his erection at Eggsy’s entrance, pushing in slowly. 

Eggsy arched his back and lowered himself to his elbows, pushing his arse up. The feeling of Ronnie’s cock touching the spot his fingers had worked at before, made Eggsy gasp. 

Ronnie was stroking his hands up and down Eggsy’s spine, while he settled into a steady rhythm. 

Eggsy stretched his arms in front of him, digging his nails into the mattress. After a while, Ronnie’s hands moved towards Eggsy’s chest and pulled him up, pressing Eggsy’s back to his own stomach. 

Ronnie held Eggsy almost upright with one hand, stroking his stomach with the other, while kissing Eggsy’s cheek and neck and back, everywhere he could reach. 

Eggsy moved his hips, meeting every push forward of Ronnie’s hips with a movement of his own. 

Ronnie moaned, his lips gently tugging at Eggsy’s earlobe. 

Eggsy turned his head and pressed sloppy kisses to Ronnie’s cheek. Release was starting to build up, he could feel it in the way that every muscle in his body started to tense. “I’m close,” he moaned. 

Ronnie stroked down slowly, took Eggsy’s cock in his hand and started stroking it with long, slow movements. 

Eggsy’s head fell back, leaning on Ronnie’s shoulder, who was again pressing kisses to Eggsy’s neck, making him shiver. Eggsy’s breaths were fast and shallow, and he could feel his rapid heartbeat where Ronnie’s tongue teased his neck. 

Ronnie let go of his cock and pulled back the hand that was keeping Eggsy steady, prompting him to let himself sink back onto his elbows. Ronnie placed his hands next to Eggsy’s shoulders and lowered himself as well, still thrusting in with that relentless rhythm. “Is this okay?” he mumbled as he put most of his weight on Eggsy, and Eggsy could only gasp and nod. Ronnie’s cock was even deeper inside of him, and he was so goddamn close. 

Eggsy moved his hand down between himself and the mattress, stroking himself. He twisted his back as far as he could to face Ronnie, who pressed his lips to Eggsy’s for a sloppy kiss. Their tongues met clumsily due to the strange angle, but it was so good, so hot, and Eggsy moaned loudly as Ronnie’s entire body tensed and he came with a curse. He kept thrusting in as he came, and the feeling of his cock pulsing inside of him sent Eggsy over the edge as well. He came into his hand, moaning Ronnie’s name. 

****

Eggsy woke up with his head on Ronnie’s chest and Ronnie’s arms around him. It was the first time he had not woken up alone here. He smiled, relishing the memory of last night, listening to Ronnie’s heartbeat and feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest. He closed his eyes and waited for Ronnie to wake up, enjoying the warmth of Ronnie’s body so close to his.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, only that Ronnie’s soft breathing had almost lulled him back to sleep, when Ronnie moved a bit under his body and yawned. Eggsy looked up at him with a smile, as Ronnie blinked tiredly, yawned again, and wrapped his arms around Eggsy tighter. “Morning, Teddy” he mumbled, closing his eyes again.

“Morning, Ronnie,” Eggsy said smiling, and moved his hand to Ronnie’s chest, stroking circles on his soft skin with his fingertips. A crushing realisation hit him, the thought so sudden it made his smile disappear and his heart pound in his chest. 

Because Eggsy knew that if he had been a braver man, if the situation had not been as fucked up as it had been, this would have been the moment he would have said ‘I love you’. 

What was worse, he would have meant it. 

****

“The bloke woke up, you can question him.” Merlin stood in Harry’s doorway, holding a file of some sort. “Is there anything you need to know before you go in?” 

Harry stood up and shook his head. He had spent the night reading everything there was to know about Matthew Parston, every disgusting little detail. He was well prepared.

Merlin followed him as he went to the hospital wing of the Kingsman estate, where Parston had been patched up and evaluated. He had a concussion, some of his teeth were a bit wobbly now, and there were a lot of bruises on his body, but the gash on his arm had been stitched up and he could open his eye again. Not very far, but, well… it was something. 

Merlin stayed outside, choosing to look in through the one-way mirror. He was familiar with Harry’s interrogation style. Had the man not been a wreck already, he would – depending on his answers – probably still end up that way. 

“Matthew Parston,” Harry said with a nod. “You have quite the record.” 

Parston looked at him with hostility. “I don’t.” 

Harry pretended to be deep in thought. “Torture, murder…. Or do I have another Matthew Parston in mind?” 

Parston smiled, as far as his bruised cheeks and swollen lips allowed him. “I was acquitted of those.” 

Harry shook his head. “You were not convicted, due to people being afraid to testify. There is a difference. Not that that matters anymore. You’re here now.” 

“In a hospital! What does my record have to do with anything?” the man sounded genuinely upset.

Harry laughed joylessly. “Oh, but this is not a hospital. You might not remember this, due to the rather heavy blow you seem to have suffered to the back of the head, but I was the person who picked you up yesterday. It wasn’t an ambulance. It was a police car.” He stepped closer. “But it wasn’t the police. What I’m saying, Mr Parston, is that no one knows you’re here.” 

Parston narrowed his eyes. “Who are you? One of them Krays fuckers? Like that boy?” 

Harry didn’t answer. “About ‘that boy’. Is he the one who is responsible for your condition?” He sounded amused, but Merlin knew him well enough to know it was fake. He was trying to provoke the man into giving him the information he needed. 

Parston scoffed. “He’ll get what’s coming to him.” His look was menacing. 

“Like I said,” Harry said, feigning annoyance, “nobody knows you’re here. Nobody knows about the boy. Nobody will avenge you.” 

“I know the boy!” Parston bit out angrily. “He’s Dean’s prissy boy!” 

What? 

Merlin started flipping through his file frantically. How did this man know Eggsy? He skimmed over the old addresses of the man, and there was one that was close to Eggsy’s old neighbourhood. They were not neighbours by any means, but it was not impossible that Dean and Parston had known each other from their various criminal activities. Parston sure had climbed up, working for the Richardsons now. Him recognizing Eggsy was bad news. Really bad news.

If the statement rattled Harry at all, he sure didn’t let it show. 

“Do you think we will let you walk out of here to bang on Dean’s door, demanding to see his ‘prissy boy’ so you can beat the shit out of him?” Harry asked. “Because we are not.”

“He’ll get what’s coming to him.” Parston repeated. “Without me doing anything. Being around the Krays is enough. He is a dead man.” 

“And how is that?” Harry asked nonchalantly. “The Krays are not known for killing off their most trusted employees.” 

Only the ones who have fallen out of grace, Merlin supplied in his mind.

“It is not about trust!” Parston said, looking awfully smug. “It is about proximity.” An insane smile spread on his lips. “You talk like you know so much, but you obviously know nothing about the weapons the Krays have. I do.” 

“What about their weapons?” 

That smug look again. “Weapons so dangerous the Richardsons declined having anything to do with it. Too big a risk, you know. Never do anything if you don’t know the consequences, that sort of thing. The Krays are not familiar with the word ‘caution’.” He laughed. “It’s gonna get them killed. And Muggsy as well.” 

“What kind of weapon?” Harry asked. He sounded threatening, but the urgency in his voice indicated more. He was afraid for Eggsy. Merlin was too. It was possible that the guy was just making this up, but he sounded so sure, so amused about the prospect of Eggsy meeting his demise…. He sounded sincere. 

Parston shrugged, a movement that made him grimace from the pain in his neck. “I wouldn’t know,” he said, not even trying to hide the obvious lie. “You’ll figure it out.” He chuckled. “Eventually.” 

Harry slapped him in the face. Parston’s eyes flew shut, and the monitor gave an angry beep. He was passed out. 

Harry kicked the bed angrily, and turned to the mirror, where he knew Merlin was watching. “I barely even touched him!” He sounded annoyed. 

Merlin opened the door. “That tends to happen with a concussion like that. Come on.” He gestured for Harry to get out of the room. It was just like him to slap the man again to try and wake him up, only making it worse.

Harry walked out and closed the door. For a moment he looked in through the mirror at the unconscious figure in the bed. Then he turned to Merlin, the anger in his face replaced by worry. “He said Eggsy was in danger. I believe him.” 

Merlin squeezed Harry’s shoulder softly. “So do I,” he admitted. “But Eggsy is still at Kray’s house. We cannot contact him.” 

Harry nodded, his lips pressed into a straight line. “And even if he was, he might still not pick up the phone. We need to send someone in to warn him. I can’t go, Kray would recognise me from the tailor shop.” He cursed himself for it. If he hadn’t so desperately wanted to talk to Eggsy then, he could have gone in now. He thought for a moment. “Percival?” 

Merlin shook his head. “He is blowing shit up in Uganda.” 

“Bors?” 

“In Italy right now.” 

Harry rubbed his temples. This was a nightmare. All of a sudden, both men looked at each other. 

“No,” Merlin said flatly. 

“Yes,” Harry said. “It’s the only way.” 

“I don’t like how often we’ve said ‘it’s the only way’ for this mission already,” Merlin said. “But I agree.” 

“Lancelot.” Harry said. 

“Lancelot,” Merlin confirmed. “I’ll set it in motion.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Homosexuality was actually decriminalised in 1967, not 1968. This is a total fuck-up on my part, I switched two dates around in my head. Sorry. 
> 
> Anyway, it's starting to get dangerous......


	12. The docks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We pick up right where the last chapter ended.

Eggsy felt amazing as he was driving Ronnie’s grey Ford Zodiac to the docks. Their lazy morning had turned into a lazy afternoon (as it turned out, Ronnie’s bathtub WAS big enough for two people), and then Reggie had called, telling them it was time to move the ‘stuff’ Reggie had mentioned to Eggsy when he asked if he knew how to drive. 

Eggsy still didn’t know what ‘stuff’ they were talking about, but had decided he would find out soon enough, and that asking might be a bit suspicious. He was just the driver after all. They would tell him what they thought he needed to know. 

The blond man who had been with them when they had burgled Jimmy Harvers had shown up on their – Ronnie’s – doorstep, driving the Dodge Polara that they had stolen there. Reggie was in the passenger seat. 

Ronnie had seen the way Eggsy’s eyes lit up seeing the Ford for the first time, and had simply handed over the keys with a grin. 

When they arrived at the docks, a black man in his sixties was waiting for them between the containers, accompanied by a tan, stern-looking young woman, whose long trousers did nothing to hide her very sharp looking prosthetic legs. “That…. Is fucking frightening,” Eggsy whispered. 

Ronnie lightly jabbed his elbow into Eggsy’s side with a chuckle. “Sssh.” 

Eggsy tapped his glasses before he got out. He wasn’t taking any risks with that woman standing around. She looked lethal as hell. 

“Mister Valentine,” Reggie said with a nod, shaking the man’s hand. 

“Mister Kray.” He greeted back, sounding very cheerful, and with a very noticeable American accent and a lisp. His suit was… well… colourful. He was wearing a pink shirt under a purple suit jacket, a combination that would surely make Harry Hart stab his own eyes out. On his head he had a pink hat of some kind, an item Eggsy hoped would never become fashionable in the UK. 

“My brother Ronald,” Reggie said, gesturing to Ronnie, who shook the man’s hand as well, “and our associates Teddy Smith and Leslie Holt.” 

Leslie Holt. So, he finally had a name to go with the face. He noticed the way the woman slightly raised an eyebrow and looked at Ronnie when Reggie referred to Eggsy as an ‘associate’. Damn, that woman was amazing. She was looking him up and down without even trying to hide it, sizing him up. He stared back, let his look linger on her legs. Or rather, her blades. He had no doubt she could kill with those things. 

Valentine clapped his hands excitedly. It reminded Eggsy of Frances, who had done the same when she proposed they would take a picture of him in his suit. “Shall we?” Valentine said. 

“Stay here,” Reggie said, looking at Eggsy and Ronnie. Valentine nodded at the woman, who stayed behind as well. Reggie and Leslie followed the man to one of the containers, which Valentine swung open, and the three of them got in. 

It was a pity Valentine had not introduced the woman. It would be nice to have a name for her as well. She was looking at Ronnie and Eggsy with a very bored expression on her face, though she was alert at all times. Eggsy could tell she was listening for any sounds coming from the container while assessing him and Ronnie. “A knife?” she said suddenly, with a thick accent that Eggsy couldn’t quite place. “Seems superfluous.” She dragged her foot back over the asphalt as if wiping her feet, and the sound confirmed that the blades –cause that was what they were, fucking blades- were as sharp as they looked. 

Eggsy smiled at her and shrugged. “It just happened to still be in my suit.” He was impressed that she could tell he had a knife on him. It wasn’t very thick. “You are not exactly unarmed yourself.” 

She huffed. “I protect Mister Valentine. As I’m sure you protect Ronald.” She gave him a pointed look. Her voice rolled a bit on the R and lingered on the L. Was it a Romanian accent? Definitely not American though. 

Valentine, Leslie and Reggie stepped out of the container again. Reggie seemed satisfied, nodding at Ronnie as they approached. “It’s all there,” he said. He reached into his suit, and Eggsy saw the way the woman’s muscles tensed momentarily, like a panther ready to jump its prey. Reggie pulled out an envelope, and she relaxed, while staying alert. “And that is all there as well,” Reggie said, handing over the envelope. “Though feel free to check.” 

Valentine handed the envelope to the woman. “Gazelle, you count it. You know how easily I get distracted.” 

She didn’t respond to his comment, simply opening up the envelope and reaching in with her hand, flicking through the bills with practised ease. She didn’t look down once, keeping the four men in her eyesight at all times. When she glanced down, it was only a fraction of a second, probably to check if the money was real. She closed the envelope and handed it back wordlessly. Not much of a talker, apparently. And called Gazelle. If that wasn’t an alias, her parents had a very crude sense of humour. 

“It was a pleasure doing business, mister Kray,” Valentine said, shaking Reggie’s hand, “and mister Kray,” shaking Ronnie’s. He laughed out loud, and looked at his bodyguard like he had just made the funniest joke in the world. The corners of her mouth twitched up when he turned his head, only to fall down again the exact moment he turned away. They walked away through a path between the containers, her legs making scraping noises on the asphalt as she went. She walked like a dancer, graceful and smoothly, and Eggsy thought that if she wanted, her footsteps would be inaudible. 

“Come on, we need to put these boxes in the cars.” Reggie walked over to the container, Leslie following him like a puppy. 

“Let’s move the cars closer,” Eggsy proposed. Ronnie hummed in agreement, and they walked back to the cars.

“If legs could kill,” Eggsy quipped. “Who was she, anyway?” 

Ronnie shrugged. “According to Reggie, this gentleman doesn’t have a stomach for violence. But he is a visionary. Richmond Valentine. Made a lot of money in technology. Radios and televisions, that sort of things. She is the person who gets her hands dirty for him. Or legs.” He shrugged again. “Whatever works.” 

Eggsy had to admit he was impressed by her, whoever she was. Everything about her screamed she was a fighter, and yet she was calm, in the same way Harry was. Perfectly composed, but obviously very aware of her surroundings at all times. The kind of person who would never have to ask something a second time: she would remember any small detail about all of them, Eggsy was sure of it.

They both got into one of the cars and parked them close to the container. Then they stepped in as well. There was a wall of cardboard boxes in the back. The rest of the container was empty. Something else – something legal – had probably been transported into the country, and this, the real cargo, was hidden in the back. “Weapons?” Eggsy asked, hoping it would not seem too inquisitive. “Obviously,” Ronnie grinned. Reggie and Leslie both already had a box in their hands, and walked past them to the cars. Eggsy picked up a box as well. They were heavy, like they were filled with bricks. Too heavy to be guns. The guns he was familiar with anyway. 

The four of them put all boxes in the trunks and on the backseats. There was nothing on the boxes that could serve as any indication of what was in them. When they were done, Eggsy tapped his glasses again and they got into the cars. “Where to?” Eggsy asked. 

“My house. Reg and Holt are going there as well.” 

They drove in silence for a while. “Is the radio and television business just a cover for an arms deal?” Eggsy dared to ask eventually. He did his best to sound impressed, so it wouldn’t sound like he was interrogating Ronnie about his own business. 

Luckily, Ronnie didn’t seem to take it as such. “Nah. All of that is real. He just has a certain ideology that some might disagree with. We’re just testing something out for him.” 

“Weapons.” Eggsy said. 

Ronnie hummed. “We’re going to put them in my cellar for the time being. And then Frances is coming over as well.” He didn’t sound too happy about that. 

Weird. Eggsy had only met her once, but she seemed kind. “How long have they been together? Reggie and Frances?” 

“Three years. Married two.” Ronnie sounded like they were the worst years of his life.

“Do you not like her?” Eggsy asked. 

Ronnie turned his head really slowly, not saying a word, just staring at Eggsy from the side. 

Eggsy didn’t dare to look at him. He could see from the corner of his eye how Ronnie clenched and unclenched his fists, over and over again. He was pissed. 

Eggsy just pretended he didn’t notice the threatening silence. 

He had gone too far. 

**** 

Harry decided to pick up J.B. and take him with him to Kingsman. The cat was out of the bag anyway, so there was no reason to leave the pug at home, in the partial care of his senile elderly neighbour who consistently referred to the dog as Mr Pickle. 

Also, and he didn’t like to admit it to himself, having something to fuss over calmed his nerves. It was a distraction from what he was about to task Roxy with. She would soon come to Merlin’s office to be briefed on her first mission. 

“Good afternoon, Harry.” Merlin gave the pug a suspicious look when Harry entered with J.B. under his arm. He was more of a cat person, as was painfully obvious every time the new puppies had to be picked up. “Have you read the papers?”

“Hello, Merlin. Not yet, why?” He had gone straight home after they had decided to send Roxy to talk to Eggsy, and hadn’t had time to look at the papers. Harry set down J.B. on the floor, and the dog started sniffing around curiously. 

Merlin kept his eyes on the dog, probably afraid it would chew up some cables or – much worse – get too close to him. “A new Act of Parliament.” Merlin gestured at the paper on his desk. 

Harry frowned. “Since when do you care about politics?” He picked up the paper and searched for the article. 

Ooh. 

He looked up at Merlin.

“I named my cat Alan Turing. There are some political things I do care about.” Merlin said, giving Harry a knowing look. He turned to his monitor. “Lancelot will be here in a few minutes.” They had agreed that it was best to brief Lancelot in the same way they had briefed Eggsy: giving her as much information as possible about the layout of the various Kray-owned pubs, and telling her what kind of things she should look out for. Lancelot would wear an earpiece, through which Merlin could contact her via satellite. They could tell her where Eggsy was, but it shouldn’t be obvious to Eggsy that they knew, so she had to run into him in a place where it would make sense for Kingsman to send their agent when looking for him, so his flat or one of the pubs.

They would keep their suspicions about Eggsy having gone dark to themselves, only telling Lancelot that they couldn’t contact Eggsy and needed a mission-status update. Lancelot would leave tomorrow. 

****

Roxy was furious, even if she didn’t show it. She sat across from Harry and Merlin, nodding softly as they told her the real reason Eggsy had left. She didn’t interrupt once, just waited for them to finish their story. Then she cleared her throat and looked Harry dead in the eye. “You let your recruit go without a possibility for contact from your side? Except for the phone in his flat?” She sounded like she couldn’t quite believe that anyone could be so stupid. Harry had do agree with her. 

“It was at his request.” 

“And he doesn’t know you have a tracker on him, so I have to pretend that I’ve been looking all over for him when I meet him?”

They nodded, and Roxy let out a deep sigh. “When do I-“ she looked over Merlin’s shoulder to the screen, where the red dot showed that Eggsy had left Ronnie’s house. Merlin and Harry turned around to watch as well. 

“Where do you think they are going?” Harry asked. He sounded tense. 

“I don’t know, Harry.” Merlin said. 

The dot moved at car-speed through Ronnie’s neighbourhood, soon arriving at the main roads. “Could be the industrial area or the docks. Or the bloody countryside.” 

They watched in silence for a few minutes. Roxy felt oddly like she was invading Eggsy’s privacy, him not knowing they could see this and all. But she was also glad they could track him, because she was very aware of what danger Eggsy was in. One slip-up could blow his cover and get him killed. It was bloody ridiculous Merlin and Harry had decided to do this. And Arthur. The thought made her angry. Of course Arthur would agree to this. He didn’t care if Eggsy lived or died. In fact, Eggsy dying would only reinforce his position that working-class people were not suited for Kingsman. 

They came to a stop at the docks. “Shit,” Merlin muttered. 

Harry’s entire body was tense. 

Being at the docks didn’t seem like a good sign. Maybe Eggsy was already dead. Maybe they were dumping his body. Jimmy Harvers had been found in the water, maybe that was how they always disposed of dead bodies. 

Suddenly, the map disappeared and a video came in its place. They all relaxed a bit.

The video showed a car door being opened, skimmed over two people, Reggie Kray and some other guy, and then the camera was pointed at two people waiting by some containers. 

“That’s Richmond Valentine!” Merlin said, sounding surprised – and terribly excited. 

Roxy and Harry turned to him sharply. “Who?” they said in unison. 

“Richmond Valentine. The biggest guy in the technology world. How can you not know him?” Merlin sounded genuinely surprised. 

“Because I have a social life,” Harry said. 

If she hadn’t still be as worried, the comment would have made Roxy laugh. This kind of banter was so different from the way Harry normally presented himself, but then again, he and Merlin had been friends for decades. 

The man wore a terrible combination of colours. His entire demeanour was the opposite of the woman all dressed in black who was standing next to him. 

“Do you know her as well?” Roxy asked. By the way the woman was standing next to Valentine, she appeared to be his bodyguard. 

“No. I do know she is always by Valentine’s side, when he gives presentations and such. But not much is known about her. Only that her legs are exactly as deadly as they look.” 

“Are those blades?” Harry asked, his voice somewhere between amazement and concern. 

“Yes,” Merlin said, and he just sounded impressed. 

They watched as Valentine shook hands with the Kray twins, and Reggie said something to him, gesturing to the three others. “That blond guy is the same one who burgled Harvers,” Harry observed. 

Then the camera was back on the woman. They could see her raise an eyebrow a bit, the biggest change in facial expression she had displayed the entire time, and she looked Eggsy up and down. She was obviously very observant, if the way her look lingered somewhere on Eggsy’s chest was any indication. She was checking out his weaponry. Then it was back on Valentine, who clapped his hands and said something. 

“Shall we?” Harry mumbled. He could lip-read. Of course he could. 

Reggie said something to Eggsy. “Stay here,” Harry said. 

Reggie and the blond guy followed Valentine, and the stream showed the woman again. She said something, but Harry didn’t translate. 

“Harry?” Merlin asked. 

Harry seemed startled. “Yes, sorry. I believe she said ‘a knife’, but she isn’t as easy to read. ‘seems’ is all I got after.” The woman was silent for a bit, probably listening to Eggsy or Ronnie. “Something like ‘I protect’ … oh, Valentine of course, something, something, ‘protect Ronald’. Sorry, she has a very heavy accent by the looks of it.” 

Eggsy turned his head to the container, where the three men who had gone in were now coming back. Some words were exchanged, followed by an envelope with money. 

“Azél. Her name. Something like ‘Azél.” Harry shook his head at himself in frustration. “Can’t make it out properly.” 

Valentine and the twins shook hands, and Valentine and the woman left. Eggsy and Ronnie both got into different cars. “Where are they going?” Merlin asked surprised. It turned out they just moved the cars closer to the container. Then they got in. Eggsy looked at Ronnie, who grinned and said something Harry didn’t even need to translate. “Obviously.” But what was it an answer to? 

In the back of the container, cardboard boxes were stacked. There were not very many, around fifty in total. They were twice as big as shoeboxes, and by the looks of it quite heavy. They all started loading the boxes into the cars. When they were done, Eggsy got back in the car, and the feed stopped. 

Merlin and Harry looked at each other in a way that made Roxy think there was a larger significance to what they had just witnessed than just some potential evidence. “Lancelot,” Harry said slowly, all the time looking at Merlin as if wanting his approval. “I think we might need to postpone your mission.”

It surprised her, but there had to be a good reason for it, so she simply got up. “I’m available if anything changes,” she said. 

“Thank you, Lancelot.” Harry said. Merlin nodded. 

Roxy stepped out of Merlin’s office and closed the door behind her. 

****

“He’s still doing his mission.” Harry sounded confused. 

“This isn’t evidence,” Merlin countered. “We do not know what’s in those boxes.” 

“What do you know about this Richmond Valentine? Why would he be doing business with the Krays?” 

Merlin thought for a moment. “Well, the container was empty, save for those boxes. My guess is, that they shipped in radio’s or other electronics, and whatever is in those boxes was taken across the borders as well, as a favour.” 

“A favour? In exchange for what? Why would an inventor who has to do with electronics agree to smuggle something in for a couple of London gangsters?” 

“For all the good he’s done, Valentine is notoriously concerned with the environment. He seems to think that population control is one of the most important things for the preservation of a habitable planet.” 

“So?” none of this made sense to Harry. “Are you saying he smuggled weapons or something in, and in exchange the Krays have to reduce the population of London?” 

Merlin shook his head. “I don’t know, Harry. I have no idea. I shall try to look into it okay? Find out what possible could have been in these boxes. If Eggsy doesn’t show us, that is.” 

“But Lancelot’s mission is off?” Harry asked. He sounded more hopeful than he probably should.

Merlin looked at him disapprovingly. “No. It is postponed, as you said yourself. This isn’t just about our suspicions anymore, this is about what Parston told us. What if these are the weapons he has told us about? The weapons that were so dangerous the Richardsons didn’t want them? Eggsy could still be in danger. We just need to know what’s in the boxes, so we don’t send our people on a suicide mission if we extract him. I propose the following: We give him another day. If these are the weapons, I don’t assume they will use them immediately, and sure as hell not on their own people. So if Eggsy shows us today what’s in them, we can decide to send Lancelot in to either warn him about what Parston said, or at least get an update of what Eggsy knows about the weapons. Or we can send our team in to get Eggsy out. To be honest, I really hope Eggsy just goes home today, so we can call him.” 

Harry nodded. “I agree with your plan.” 

****

Eggsy’s heart was racing the entire way to Ronnie’s house. Neither of them had said a word since he had asked about Frances. 

He was scared. Really scared.

It was crazy how just this morning he had felt completely safe in Ronnie’s arms, and now he didn’t dare look at him. 

They got out of the car, Reggie’s car stopping behind them as well. 

Ronnie unlocked the door without a word, grabbed a box, and walked in. 

Eggsy followed him. 

Ronnie opened the door across from his living room, the small hallway with the bathroom and the cellar. So he would finally get to check out the cellar. The thought wasn’t nearly as exciting as it had once been.

Ronnie switched on the lights with his elbow, and started walking down the narrow stairs carefully. The cellar was only one room. There were shelves all along the walls, stocked with cans and bottles. The only thing that seemed out of place was a large wooden box in the corner. 

Eggsy would have to find a way to find out what was in it. 

Ronnie set his cardboard box down next to the wooden one, and Eggsy did the same. Reggie and Leslie had entered behind them, also with boxes. They all went up and down a few times until all the boxes were safely in Ronnie’s cellar. 

“Frances and I will be here for dinner,” Reggie said before he walked up the stairs one last time. He got into his car with Leslie, and they drove off. 

Eggsy stood in the hallway awkwardly, not sure if he should leave as well. Ronnie’s anger had seemingly faded while hauling the boxes down the stairs, but it could be back in the blink of an eye. 

“Do you want me to-“ Eggsy was cut off by Ronnie. 

“You are helping me make dinner.” He sounded curt, but not hostile. 

Eggsy took that as a good sign. Still, he was cautious when he followed Ronnie into the kitchen. 

****

“Did you know that Reggie used to live next door?” 

Eggsy looked up, startled. 

Ronnie hadn’t said anything after he had told Eggsy what they were making, and had given instructions on how he should cut the vegetables. Even now he didn’t actually look at Eggsy when he said it, concentrating on the fish that was frying in the pan. 

Eggsy had finished the vegetables fifteen minutes ago, which were now cooking, and was now just sitting at the kitchen table in silence. 

“I didn’t.” He was glad Ronnie was talking. The silence had made him incredibly nervous. 

“Yeah, he moved away when he got married.” Ronnie sounded slightly annoyed, though Eggsy couldn’t see his face since he was still facing the stove. Maybe that was the reason he didn’t like Frances. Because she had taken his brother away. 

Suddenly, Ronnie turned around. “Do you think she looks like Brigitte Bardot?” he asked with a frown.

The question took Eggsy aback. “Frances?” He tried picturing Frances and Brigitte Bardot next to each other. “A bit?” he said carefully, not sure what Ronnie wanted to hear.

“Mmmmmh.” Ronnie turned away again. “Everyone says she does. But she isn’t nearly as feisty.” 

Eggsy really didn’t know how to respond to that. 

Ronnie abandoned the fish and went to the living room. A moment later, music started playing. He came back, grinning. It was disconcerting how his mood could swing like that, but a happy Ronnie was much, much safer than a mad Ronnie, so Eggsy didn’t mind. 

Ronnie turned off the stove, and turned to Eggsy. “Dinner’s ready.” He held out his hand. Eggsy took it and got up. He recognized the song that was playing. ‘The look of love’ by Dusty Springfield. 

Fuck. 

He blushed. Again. 

Ronnie was smiling. There was not a trace of the earlier anger or annoyance. He pulled Eggsy closer, and wrapped his arms around his waist. It was like the time they had danced in the club. The setting and song were different, but the feeling was the same. Surprise at the affection, followed by simply feeling wonderful. Had it really only been eight days since their first dance? That time, Ronnie had asked him to kill a man. This time, there were no ulterior motives. 

Eggsy put his arms around Ronnie’s neck. “My mum loves this song,” he said softly. It was true. He had danced with her on the kitchen tiles many times, mostly to this song. Often to comfort her after Dean had done something. They were not happy memories. But good memories nonetheless. 

“Then your mum and I have something in common.” Eggsy could feel Ronnie smile against his cheek. 

He sighed, and pulled him closer. 

****

During dinner, Eggsy found himself wondering again how much Frances knew. None of them mentioned anything about that afternoon, instead the twins chatted about one of their clubs, and about how their mum would surely ask them any day now to come cut down some dead tree in her garden before it would fall on the house. 

Frances smiled and chatted and was her terribly sweet self, and Eggsy started to get annoyed by her. Maybe he was projecting because he knew Ronnie wasn’t a fan, but suddenly her kindness seemed too much. There was no fire in her at all. 

After dinner they sat down on the couch in the living room. Despite having slept in, Eggsy felt tired. 

Reggie poured scotch for all of them, and Ronnie passed around some cigarettes. 

Eggsy hadn’t smoked in months, but he took one anyway. He wasn’t about to do some running anyway. 

“So, Ronnie.” Reggie said, looking smug. “It seems you’re not a criminal anymore.” 

For a moment, Eggsy had no clue what he was talking about. Was he seriously going to talk about crime all of a sudden? In front of his wife? Maybe she did know after all. And what the hell did he mean, not a criminal anymore? 

Ronnie caught on immediately. “Yes, having intercourse is more enjoyable when you’re not thinking ‘Oh, I’m breaking the law’ the entire time,” he said dryly. 

Eggsy almost choked on his scotch. 

“Reggie!” Frances looked scandalised, though a little amused as well. She lightly slapped Reggie on the knee. 

“Don’t you agree, Teddy?” Ronnie asked, seemingly very amused at the way Eggsy was coughing and turning more red by the second.

Eggsy coughed some more. “Oh God,” he said, genuinely at loss for words. He gathered his wits with a last cough. “I guess it does take away the deeply rooted fear of being arrested while naked.” 

Reggie and Ronnie laughed. Frances seemed to be suffering from second-hand embarrassment. 

“Oh, Teddy?” Frances said, obviously wanting to change the subject. 

“Yes?” 

“As soon as my roll of film is full and I can get them developed, I will make sure you get the picture of you and Ronnie. The one in your new suit.” She gestured at the camera that she had placed on the table. 

“Oh yes. Thank you, Frances!” He was genuinely happy about that. He couldn’t wait to see the picture. 

Frances excused herself to go to the bathroom. 

Ronnie poured another drink. 

“How about you, Teddy,” Reggie said teasingly, destroying Frances’ efforts. “Is your family as happy as ours is to no longer have a degenerate in the family?” 

Eggsy turned to face Ronnie, who looked back at him grinning, waiting for him to answer. 

Frances was gone, he could speak freely now. “Well,” Eggsy said, winking at Ronnie. “I’m not sure about the ‘no longer’ part. I don’t think that I’m the most illegal thing that Ronnie has ever done.” 

Ronnie burst out laughing, sounding a bit surprised himself at the explosion of sound. 

Reggie mumbled something about regretting having asked, but he was laughing as well. 

Somehow it was quite nice to be a part of the banter between the two brothers. Eggsy had often wondered what it would be like to have a brother. He loved Daisy, but that was different. He would always be her protector, would never say anything harsh to her, even if it was a joke. Banter like this would never exist between them. 

Eggsy laughed as well, feeling a bit embarrassed at his own comment, but oddly proud too. Just a few weeks ago the thought of sex with a man would have made him uncomfortable, and now he was making jokes about it in the presence of his lover’s brother. 

“I don’t know where that came from,” Eggsy chuckled, looking at Ronnie, who still looked more amused than Eggsy had ever seen him before. 

“Cheeky,” Ronnie said, leaning in closer. 

Eggsy thought Ronnie might kiss him, and the thought didn’t scare him at all. He felt relaxed and happy as he looked into Ronnie’s eyes, and didn’t even notice that Frances had come back until Reggie said it was getting late, and they would leave. 

She was holding her camera, said goodbye to Eggsy and again promised to get the picture to him as fast as possible. Eggsy thanked her again, and Ronnie walked them to the door. 

Eggsy couldn’t know back then how often he would think back on that moment. If only he had done something – anything – that day, maybe he could have stopped the events that would follow. But at that moment, he never would have expected that something like that could ever happen. 

How terribly naïve he had been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When checking this chapter for mistakes, I found out I mistyped 'docks' in the worst way imaginable not once, but twice. How very Freudian of me. 
> 
> I figured that Reggie would be totally cool with Ronnie's sexuality, especially since there are many rumours that he was bi himself.


	13. The fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everybody doubts everything.
> 
> Note: I uploaded the last chapter at a weird time, so if any of you reading this have not yet met Valentine and Gazelle, that means you missed the last chapter. Just a heads-up.

Eggsy helped Ronnie clear up the glasses and ashtray, then said “I’d better be off as well. I’ve been in this suit for way too long.” He meant it. He had been wearing this suit since he beat up Matthew Parston, and was very aware that he had a bloodied knife in the inner pocket, which he was itching to clean. And maybe there was another reason he wanted to leave. It was unsettling how Ronnie’s mood had been going up and down all day without warning, and Eggsy would rather not spend the night right now. 

Ronnie shrugged. “So? You can pick one up tomorrow. I can send a fucking driver to get one if you want.” His voice allowed no argument. “Besides, I don’t think you should go outside at this time. The fucking Richardsons are probably pissed that their man got picked up by the pigs, and are looking to stir up some shit.” 

With any other person Eggsy would have said that it was his own bloody decision if he wanted to walk home in the middle of the night. He would have said that he was heavily armed, and not a bloody idiot. That he could take care of himself. But this wasn’t some random person. This was Ronnie Kray. And he apparently really didn’t want Eggsy to leave. 

Whether his concern was real or not, he did have a point, and arguing with him would be not only useless, but also dangerous. So Eggsy just smiled in a way that he hoped looked grateful. “You’re right. I’ll just go to my flat tomorrow.” He had wanted to call into Kingsman, or at least that was what he told himself. Who knew what he would have done. He didn’t always recognise his own actions anymore. 

“I’m knackered,” he said, with a genuine yawn. 

“Go upstairs. I have to finish something up here.” 

Eggsy did as he was told. His whole body felt heavy when he slowly walked up the stairs, took off his suit, and brushed his teeth with the toothbrush that had made him so proud once. He got into bed, but kept his pants on, and made sure he positioned his clothes next to the bed in such a way that the gun holster and knife were within reach.

Jesus.

When had he gotten so afraid of Ronnie Kray?

****

He hadn’t exactly pretended to be sleeping, but he had kept his mouth shut when Ronnie came upstairs, feeling slightly relieved that Ronnie didn’t say anything either and just brushed his teeth and got into bed. 

Eggsy didn’t sleep well that night, listening the whole time whether Ronnie’s breathing changed, if he was asleep or awake, habitually checking if he really could reach his weapons from where he was. 

The next morning he woke up before Ronnie, and got dressed quietly. He really didn’t want to sneak out unnoticed, but he wanted to get home as soon as possible. He was tying his shoelaces, when suddenly- “What are you doing?”. 

Ronnie had woken up, and was looking at him suspiciously. Eggsy smiled at him, hoping it didn’t look as fake as it felt. “Good morning, Ronnie. Did I wake you? I thought I could go to the shops real quick before you woke up, to surprise you with breakfast.” The lies came easily. He was used to making shit up on the fly, mostly when Dean asked questions about where his mum was, or where Eggsy had been. 

Ronnie looked surprised. Eggsy realised that nobody had probably ever done this for him. Somehow, it made him sad. It couldn’t be easy, being openly gay in a world like this, a world full of violence, where it was looked upon as a weakness. The guys Ronnie had slept with before him, and Eggsy wondered if they really had been rentboys like Parston had said, would probably just have been a shag, nothing more. And for better or worse, Eggsy was more. He hadn’t meant to, but he was. 

“No need for that. There’s plenty of food.” Ronnie sat up. “You could go get some cigarettes though.” 

Eggsy nodded. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he didn’t wait for an answer, just left.

Did Ronnie feel embarrassed at Eggsy’s plans to make him breakfast? Was it somehow a shift in their relationship? Too domestic? Was that the reason Ronnie didn’t want him to go and get breakfast? Obviously he didn’t mind him leaving for a bit, or he wouldn’t have asked for cigarettes. 

God, why did Eggsy need to overanalyse everything? He was driving himself crazy.

He knew there was a shop not too far from Ronnie’s house. They had driven past it on their way to the docks. He would buy some cigarettes and get back, have breakfast as fast as he could, and finally go home. 

The bell rung as he went into the shop. There was a long queue, which he joined patiently. 

“Over here Mr Smith.” 

Eggsy froze. The shop-owner was motioning at him to come closer. This guy knew him, but he did not know the guy. He approached carefully, ready to pull his gun any second. 

“What can I do for you today, Sir?” the shop-owner asked him with a genial smile. “Uhm… I just wanted to get a pack of smokes,” Eggsy said confused. 

“There you go,” the man said, handing him not one, but two packs. “One for Mr Kray as well,” he winked. 

What the hell? 

“How much is it?” Eggsy reached into his jacket for his wallet, very aware that he had been involuntarily skipping the queue and wanting to get out of here fast to not inconvenience the people standing in line behind him. 

“That’s quite all right, Mr Smith. Just give Mr Kray my regards.” 

“Thank you,” Eggsy said. 

“No problem,” the man said, and turned to the next person. 

Eggsy walked past the line of people waiting, smiling at them apologetically. None of them met his eyes. As the door closed behind him, he took a deep breath. He felt awful about this. Everyone knew, apparently. This guy recognised him despite him never even having been there, knew his name despite haven’t been told… word travelled fast didn’t it? As he walked back to Ronnie’s house, he paid attention to the people he encountered. Most looked away, some gave a quick and tense smile. A little girl looked at him with curiosity, and was pulled along by her mum quickly. 

They were afraid of him. 

Or rather, of Teddy Smith. Of Ronnie Kray’s henchman. 

Two men greeted him warmly by name as he walked past. He didn’t know either of them by name, though he was certain he had seen one of them in The Regal once. Eggsy didn’t like the way people reacted to him. And he certainly didn’t like he was only noticing it now.

He rang the doorbell and was met with the smell of pancakes. Ronnie was in a good mood, apparently. He grinned at Eggsy “You got back fast. It’s not quite ready I’m afraid.” 

Eggsy walked to the kitchen with him and took a seat. He took out one of the packs of cigarettes and put it on the table. “From the guy that owns the shop,” he said. “Told me to give you his regards.” 

Ronnie flipped a pancake and turned around. He grinned when he saw the cigarettes. “Aaah yes, mister Clarke is always too kind.” 

“Why?” Eggsy’s voice sounded sharp, and he knew it. Was the guy so fucking scared of the Krays? 

Ronnie huffed. “He used to have a Richardson-problem. And now he doesn’t have it anymore.” He gave Eggsy a pointed look. “A Matthew Parston-problem to be more precise.” 

He tilted the pan and let the pancake glide onto a plate, which he sat down in front of Eggsy. Eggsy was relieved. It was gratitude then, not fear. But he still didn’t like the fact that he had known Eggsy’s name. Well, Teddy Smith’s name. Being known to be Ronnie’s… anything… made him a target. And he knew what the Richardsons did to people they didn’t like. He wondered if the shop-owner knew that it was Teddy Smith who had gotten Parston off the streets, or that he was just guessing that it had to do with the Krays. He was probably one of those people that gave the Krays protection money. 

Eggsy waited until Ronnie had a pancake in front of him as well, and started eating. It was good, but he couldn’t relax. As soon as he was done, he gave Ronnie an apologetic look. “I really have to go. Do you need me to do anything before I leave?” he gestured at the dishes. 

“Just be back around four. Something big is gonna happen soon, and you need to know about it.” Ronnie sounded excited.

Eggsy’s stomach clenched. That didn’t sound good at all. And it probably had to do with those fucking boxes in Ronnie’s cellar, boxes of which he still didn’t know the bloody contents.

“Sure, I’ll be there.” Eggsy got up and gave Ronnie a quick peck on the corner of his lips. Then he left.

****

“Hi Teddy Smith.” The seductive, female voice made Eggsy whirl around, while instinctively moving his hand to his pocket. He’d been lost in thought walking home and hadn’t seen the woman who was leaning against the wall of one of the run-down buildings in his neighbourhood. Roxy gave him a smug smile, probably really proud of herself for scaring the shit out of him. 

“Roxy!” he ran up to her and picked her up, twirling them around. 

She laughed, “Put me down at once, Mr Smith!” 

He did, grinning widely at her. It was fantastic to see her. “What the fuck are you doing here?” 

Her happy expression changed to concern immediately. She sighed. “Because Merlin and Harry finally decided to let me know about this ridiculous, ill-advised plan.” She sounded irritated. “And they said they couldn’t reach you, so I’ve basically been staking out your neighbourhood to check if you are still alive.” 

“Oh.” Eggsy felt guilty. He knew he should have called, but he couldn’t do that from Ronnie’s house, could he? 

Roxy took something out of her inner pocket and handed it to Eggsy. It was an earpiece. “I’ve been instructed to give this to you so Merlin can yell at you. Put it in.” 

Eggsy did. 

“Hello Edward,”

“Hello, Merlin. Why the fuck do you even call me Edward anyway?” it came out snappier than he had intended it to sound, but he couldn’t help it. He still felt really fucking on edge, and Merlin apparently mistrusting him so much he sent Roxy to come fetch him wasn’t helping things.

“Because it is supposed to help you stay in character, though I suppose if you don’t want it, we can call you Eggsy.”

“How about ‘Erec’, since that was supposed to be my fucking codename.”

“Very well, Erec.” Merlin sounded seriously annoyed. “What has got you so wound up this morning?”

Oh, just the fact that he slept with a fucking knife next to his bed. Just the tiny little detail that everyone in Ronnie’s neighbourhood knew who he was.

“I’m sorry for snapping. It’s…. more difficult than I had thought. You know, being a different person the entire time.” He wasn’t sure which way he meant it, was it difficult being Eggsy, or was it difficult being Teddy? He supposed it didn’t really matter, not right now. He had news. Soul-searching could wait.

“Okay. Don’t worry about it. What was in those boxes?”

“Hold on. I have news. So, I sent you a video yesterday, right? With that terribly dressed dude and the frightening woman? Well, his name is Richmond Valentine, some tech-industry bloke or something. And the woman is called Gazelle. That’s good, innit? Knowing these things? Oh, and the blond bloke is called Leslie Holt.”

“That could be helpful, yes.” Merlin cleared his throat. “Lancelot, I’m going to cut you out now, keep your earpiece in.”

“Copy that,” Roxy said, and stood back a bit, to give Eggsy some privacy maybe.

“Eggsy.” Merlin sounded weird. Worried and angry at the same time. “Matthew Parston was beaten to bits. Care to explain?”

Eggsy’s heart sank. Merlin sounded accusatory like he had never heard him. “He attacked me! Came at me with his fucking gun up!”

“Yes, and the gun was found in his fucking hallway, while he was found bound to a chair! Anyway, that is not what I want to talk to you about.” It sounded as if Merlin was trying to shake his anger. He wasn’t very successful. “We questioned him, when he finally regained bloody consciousness. And he said you are in danger. Something about the weapons the Krays have. So, what is in the boxes?”

“I don’t know!” Eggsy sounded frustrated, and did nothing to hide it. “Maybe you do not realise this from your safe fucking office, but if I fall outta my role I’m fucking dead, yeah? I can’t go all ‘Hey luv, why dontya tell me all about ya fucking business, like what’s in the bloody boxes we picked up from fashionguy and robotgirl?’ I’ll try to get into the cellar yeah? I’m meeting Ronnie again at four, I swear to god I will get you a look at the fucking things!”  


“Eggsy…” it sounded like a warning. Eggsy knew that if he was saying this to Merlin’s face, there would have been a repeat of the whole ‘you don’t get to talk to me like that’ conversation, but instead of ending with a parachute being opened it would end with Eggsy getting a slap. Or getting fired. “There are lots of things we need to discuss when you get back…”  


Eggsy’s stomach clenched painfully. Jimmy Harvers. It had to be. They fucking found him.  


“Lots of things. But right now, it is about your safety. We need to know what’s in these boxes, and if you feel the slightest bit like you are in danger, you get out of there as soon as you can, and you Let. Us. Know.”  


“Yes, yes, of course, Jesus. I’ve survived so far, haven’t I?” Why was everyone suddenly so intent on keeping him safe? First Ronnie, who not too long ago had absolutely no problem with bringing Eggsy to a burglary without knowing whether the people would be home, who now suddenly didn’t want him to walk home alone at night, and now Merlin, who had send him into this mess in the first place, and now was talking to him like he was a toddler.  


“Ronnie said something big was gonna happen soon. I’ll find out what it is tonight, yeah? I’ll call you first thing tomorrow morning, I swear. And I will show you the fucking boxes.”  


Merlin let out a heavy sigh. “Eggsy… just don’t forget who you are, alright? You are not really an associate of Kray. You are not Edward Smith.”  


Eggsy had had it. “Bye, Merlin.” He took the earpiece out and took the few steps necessary to reach Roxy. “Here,” he gave the thing to her. “It was nice seeing you. Congratulations on being the new Lancelot. I’m sure you deserved it.” He sounded bitter and insincere, but he didn’t give a fuck. He started to walk away.  


“Wait!” she said. He didn’t know if it was Roxy who wanted him to stay, or Merlin, so he sped up, running around the corner. She was running after him, so he looked for a way to shake her off. There was a building across the street, surrounded by a crumbling, not too high wall. He jumped, caught onto the wall and pushed himself up and over it. Then he ran towards the building, an ugly council estate like the one he grew up in, and ran up the stairs. He ran along the walk-way until he reached the back of the building, where he climbed over the railing and let himself drop seven feet onto the ground. 

He looked around. 

Roxy was nowhere to be seen. He was pissed at Merlin for insinuating… what exactly? That they didn’t trust him? They were just as bad as Arthur, thinking that he could not be a Kingsman, that had no honour, that he would just switch sides like that.

Merlin was right about something though. He wasn’t Edward Smith. 

But he wasn’t a Kingsman either. 

Eggsy would never be a gentleman. Not on the inside. Harry could put him in a nice suit, could teach him how to properly hold a fork (and anyway, how could there be a WRONG way? Fucking bullshit) and remind him of his manners all he wanted, but that was not who Eggsy was. He was a kid from a bad neighbourhood, and he always would be. No posh accent or good table manners could change that. Why the fuck would he be ashamed of who he was? Ronnie accepted him. Ronnie didn’t give a fuck about how he talked. He felt more at home at his place, than he had ever done at the Kingsman estate. Less safe, sure, but he was used to living in fear, and Ronnie had never hurt him. He was safer there than he had ever been in Dean’s house. 

Another thing was bugging him, something that had been nagging in the back of his mind ever since Harry had picked him up from the police station and offered him the chance to become Kingsman. 

Why now? 

How was it possible that Harry, who supposedly felt so guilty about Lee dying, hadn’t bothered checking in on his widow and son before? Why had he not kept eyes on them, gotten them out of this situation sooner? 

The answer was of course, because he didn’t care. Harry had given them the medal as a way to relieve his own guilt. And after that, he hadn’t spared a second thought on the woman he widowed, and the kid he partly orphaned. He was probably really fucking annoyed when the phone rung and he heard his familiar –unnecessarily posh, but that was Harry for you – code words ‘Oxfords, not brogues’. He probably hadn’t expected them to ever use his stupid number, and the only reason he even bothered going down to the station was because it was bad manners to make and break a promise. 

Yes, he only cared when he heard what Eggsy had done, when he found out Eggsy’s talents for free running and race driving. When he learned about his loyalty. Yes, his fucking loyalty that had gotten him in this fucking mess. Harry only cared about those he could use, those he could manipulate. The posh bastard. 

Eggsy didn’t even know why he was so angry at his mentor all of a sudden. Maybe it was because of the fucking double standards going on. Harry had told him Ronnie Kray was a coldblooded killer, but what did that make Harry? He said the Krays acted without any regard to the law. But what did Kingsman do? He was angry because if Harry hadn’t picked him up that day, this would have been more likely to be his life. And he didn’t feel remorse about it. 

Yes, Merlin was right. He wasn’t Edward Smith.  
He was Mad Teddy.  


****  


“Goddamnit fucking shite!” Merlin hit his fist on the table, hard. “Fuck!”  


Harry had been quietly listening in all this time. Now he spoke up. “Lancelot, just leave him. There is no point. Come back to headquarters, your mission is completed.”  
He turned to Merlin, who was rubbing his head in that special frustrated Merlin-way that looked like he was pulling imaginary hair out of his skull.  


“What are we going to do? Wait until we know what the ‘big’ thing is?” Harry asked. He wasn’t sure what to do anymore. They had to find out what it was. Extracting Eggsy now would flush this entire mission down the toilet, and then Eggsy would be in trouble. Extracting him would mean blowing his cover, and since Ronnie could link him to Jimmy Harvers murder, he could land Eggsy in jail if he wanted.  


Merlin realised it as well. “We need to get him out in such a way that his cover isn’t blown. Arrest him, probably.” He clenched his fists. “That boy is gonna be the death of me!”  


Harry looked at the floor. “We need to know what he means with ‘the big thing’. You said it yourself, they are not going to use the weapons on their own people. And we still have nothing that could land the Krays in jail.”  


Merlin hummed. “He has until tonight. If he doesn’t give us the information needed by then, I’m giving up on him.” He looked at Harry intensely. “Then it’s fucking over. We get him out, try not to get him killed, and he will be tried for the things he’s done, like every other person would be. Do you hear me, Harry?”  


Harry looked up at his friend. There were tears welling up in his eyes, tears he desperately tried to hold back. He knew Merlin was right. But he couldn’t give up on Eggsy. Not yet. Not ever. When he spoke, it was with a sense of defiance. “You might give up on him. But I don’t. Give him until tomorrow.”  


Merlin clenched his jaw. “It is in your hands then, Galahad.”  


Harry nodded. He knew it was. And he could only hope he had made the right decision.  


****  


Eggsy took a shower and put on a clean suit. He was still angry at Merlin and Harry. How dared they question his loyalty?  


He felt restless the entire time he was in his flat. For some reason he couldn’t stop thinking about Harry and the anger he felt towards him. Manners maketh man. Bullshit. Man was able to make music, to paint and sing and dance. Man was able to love another human being, to laugh and cry and FEEL, but noooooo, it was MANNERS that defined humanity. Bullshit. That was not who Eggsy was. How was it possible that now that he was undercover, pretending to be someone he was not, he felt more like himself then he had done ever since he had seen Harry Hart leaning against the wall of the police station?

He was counting down the minutes until he could finally go back to Ronnie’s. He needed to be with someone who trusted him. Someone who had never fucking doubted him.

Someone who cared.

****  


He saw Ronnie’s door open from the end of the driveway. It was only slightly ajar, so he couldn’t see who had opened it. He grabbed his gun, just in case. Maybe it was simply Ronnie who had seen him approach through the window and had decided to open the door and go back to whatever he was doing. Maybe he was simply turning the fucking kettle off.  


But he couldn’t be too careful.  


He approached with his gun drawn, and pushed the door fully open with his foot. There was no one. The door to the living room was open as well. Eggsy closed the front door behind him as softly as possible, before going to the living room door. He poked his head around the corner, gun still up.  


Ronnie was the only person there, sitting in an armchair. Relieved, Eggsy holstered his gun and walked in.  


Ronnie turned his head when he saw him. He looked awful. There was something terribly off about him, somehow his whole posture had changed, nothing of his typical bravado was left. “Teddy,” he said quietly. It was a plea.  


Eggsy walked closer to him, knelt down next to the armchair he was slumped into, a chair that suddenly looked too big for him. “What is it?” he asked carefully, genuinely concerned.  


Ronnie did not look at him. His gaze was directed at the floor, his eyes glazed over, unseeing. “Frances,” he mumbled. “She is dead.”  


Eggsy’s heart started pounding. Frances. Sweet, innocent Frances. Dead. She did not deserve this. Of all people he had met here, she did not deserve this. There was no doubt in his mind about the nature of her death. Twenty-something year olds didn’t just drop dead. She was murdered. Killed. But by whom?  


He slipped his hand into Ronnie’s, careful not to startle him. Ronnie squeezed his hand lightly.  


“I’m so sorry,” Eggsy said. He meant it. He wanted to ask how, wanted to ask WHO, who was it they would need to kill in retaliation, who was it that did this? Who killed the most helpless associate of the Krays, who was this ball-less bastard that had opted for the easy kill? He opened his mouth to ask it, any of it, all of it, when Ronnie suddenly lifted his head, looked Eggsy straight in the eyes, and said “I killed her.”  


****

It was like everything slowed down around him. He could hear his blood rush in his ears, in the familiar way caused by a sudden rush of adrenaline. Frances. Dead. By Ronnie’s hands. 

Could he have prevented it? Was there anything he could have said to Ronnie to stop him from doing it? Anything at all? Was it his fault? Oh God, what if it was? Everything had been fine until Eggsy opened up his big mouth and asked if Ronnie didn’t like Frances. He knew how mentally unstable Ronnie was. What if this had sent him off? What if Eggsy’s offhand comment was what had caused Ronnie to kill Frances? Eggsy stood there, frozen to the ground. What was he supposed to say? 

What was he supposed to do?

He was terrified. Because there had been one thing he was absolutely sure of: that neither Ronnie nor Reggie would ever hurt someone either one of them truly cared about. And Ronnie killing Frances proved he had been wrong.

So, so very wrong.

He could only imagine what Reggie would do to him if he found out. An eye for an eye and all that. He’d kill Eggsy for sure. And while Eggsy was pretty confident about his abilities, when it came to hand to hand combat with one of the Krays, he didn’t like his odds. They had been boxers, they knew exactly how to hurt someone. They knew how to dodge a punch. They knew that simply pulling out a gun was the simplest solution to any argument. No, he didn’t like his odds at all. He could only pray that Reggie would never find out what his brother had done.  


****  


Eggsy didn’t know how often he had walked over to where Ronnie kept his scotch, only that he had done it so often that the decanter was empty. Ronnie was really fucking drunk, mumbling incoherently to himself, and Eggsy saw his chance. “Let’s get you to bed,” he said, and grabbed Ronnie’s hand to pull his arm over Eggsy’s shoulders. He stood up slowly, so Ronnie wouldn’t start puking everywhere, pulling him up. 

Ronnie was heavy, but he was too drunk to protest. He was swinging a bit on his legs, but Eggsy managed to walk him to the stairs. Actually going up them proved to be difficult, but after a few minutes Ronnie was positioned safely on the bed. Him being drunk had two major advantages. Firstly, he wouldn’t realise that Eggsy was about to go snooping, and secondly, Eggsy would surely hear him if he were to go downstairs in his intoxicated state. 

“Stay here, yeah. I’ll get you some water,” Eggsy said soothingly. Ronnie didn’t respond. His eyes were red and puffy, his body limp.

Eggsy closed the bedroom door and went downstairs quickly. His heart was pounding. Why would Ronnie kill Frances, why, why, why? He hadn’t said anything, his sobs had drowned out everything he mumbled. Eggsy tried not to think of it, he had a job to do. 

He opened the cellar door and tapped his glasses. Then he switched the light on and walked down into the cellar. The boxes were not taped shut. Instead, the two flaps of the top both had a cut down the middle, which was used to make the two flaps interweave with each other. They could easily be opened and shut again. He was nervous when he chose a box at random and gently pulled at one of the flaps, opening the box. 

What the hell?

Maybe not ALL of them were filled with weapons? He closed the box and opened another one. The same contents. He took one out, looking at it from up close. He couldn’t see anything that would make this a dangerous object. It seemed perfectly mundane. Still, it couldn’t be. They had to be weapons… somehow.

But what the hell were they?

He put the one he was holding in his pocket and closed the box. Then he went to the big wooden box that had been there even before they picked up the cardboard ones. He had expected it to be locked, but he could easily lift the lid.

Holy motherfucking shit. 

Yeah, so that was definitely a bomb. 

What. The. Fuck. 

He closed the lid very carefully, and went to the shelves, looking for a bottle of water or something. He would drop it off at Ronnie’s nightstand and get the fuck out of here. The air in the cellar was dry, or maybe it was his fear, anyway, his mouth felt dry, causing him to cough. 

He tried to muffle it by pressing his mouth to the inside of his elbow. Not that Ronnie would remember a lot about tonight, but he wasn’t taking any risks with a guy who had just killed his sister-in-law and had a fucking bomb in his cellar. 

The quiet coughs were still loud enough to drown out the sound of the footsteps quietly approaching from behind. The moment he heard them it was too late; a strong hand grabbed him by the shoulder, and a gun was pressed to the back of his head.


	14. The Blind Beggar

The sound of the safety being clicked off made Eggsy’s heart jump. “On your knees!” a familiar male voice demanded behind him. 

“Okay,” Eggsy said, trying to stay calm. “Easy now. I will.” He started to sink to his knees, listening closely if he heard the man take a step back, or put the safety back in place. He heard neither. Eggsy knew the statistics. People were more likely to kill someone if they didn’t see the person’s face. He also knew that the Harry Hart kind of professional would never press his gun to someone’s head unless he had a tight grip on that person. Being so close had its risk: at this distance, it was relatively easy to disarm someone. But Eggsy also knew that it only took a fraction of a second to pull the trigger. If he tried to turn around, it could go two ways: the guy would fire his gun immediately, killing Eggsy from this short range. Or it would surprise the guy enough that Eggsy would be able to twist his head out of the direct line of fire and hopefully disarm the man. He was almost on his knees when he heard the familiar ‘click’. From there, it was all on reflex.

Eggsy pushed himself up, spun around and hit the person in the side of the forearm. He had hoped it would send the gun flying, but no such luck. The man managed to hold onto his gun, though it was momentarily pointed at the wall. Eggsy lunged forward, intending to knee him in the stomach. Finally, he took a look at the guy’s face. They recognised each other at the same time, both with confusion and relief on their faces. Eggsy couldn’t brake enough to avoid hitting him with his whole weight, but at least he hadn’t rammed his knee into the guy. He came to a stop with his hands on the guy’s shoulders. 

“What the FUCK is wrong with you!” Eggsy shouted. 

Leslie Holt looked utterly bewildered, and terribly frightened. “I… I’m so sorry, Ted- I mean, Mr Smith. I thought…..” His eyes were wide open, his face contorted into a terrified grimace. 

“You thought WHAT?” Eggsy was pissed. The adrenaline made his blood rush and his thoughts clouded. How dared he? How dared he put a gun to his head? How the fuck did he even come in?

“I thought you were an intruder, Sir. I… I saw the light, and…” Leslie was shaking a bit. He was still holding the gun. Eggsy looked at it until Leslie dropped it.

“How did you get in?” Eggsy’s voice sounded hoarse, threatening. He sounded like Mad Teddy. 

“Reggie- Mr Kray! He… he gave me the key, he said… he said I had to check up on Ron- on Mr Kray!”

“Why?” Had Reggie sent Leslie to kill Ronnie? Did he already know that it was Ronnie who had murdered Frances?

Leslie looked lost. “I don’t know the details. He simply said he was worried that… that Mr Kray might, ehm…” he looked apologetic and put his hands up in a don’t-shoot-the-messenger kind of way “that he might hurt himself.” He bit his lip and looked away, probably afraid that Eggsy would take offence in this and punch him. 

Eggsy’s heart rate was slowing down. Teddy was seeping out of him, getting replaced by Eggsy Unwin. “Okay. Okay, don’t worry about it. Ronnie is fine. I’m with him. Was just getting him some water actually, until you decided I had to be a burglar.” 

Leslie still looked terrified, so Eggsy gave him a –hopefully- reassuring smile. “Tell Reggie that Ronnie is fine.” He turned around and grabbed a bottle of water. He motioned at the stairs. “After you.” 

Leslie picked up his gun and put it back into his holster, avoiding looking at Eggsy. He again mumbled an apology while he walked up the stairs. 

Eggsy didn’t say anything. He simply opened the front door and watched Leslie leave. Then he locked the door and put the bolt into place. He had been stupid not to do it before. He went upstairs, to find Ronnie sleeping deeply. He carefully put the bottle down on the nightstand, contemplated writing a note and decided against it. 

He realised he was still filming, and tapped his glasses again. He carefully reached into Ronnie’s suit and removed his guns, putting them under the bed. He also grabbed Ronnie’s keys. “I’ll be back soon,” he whispered. He had to call Merlin. 

****

He was surprised when he looked at his watch and it was after eight. He had arrived at Ronnie’s at four. Annoyed, he realised that Ronnie was supposed to tell him about the ‘big thing’ that was going to happen. It would have to wait until tomorrow then, he didn’t think Ronnie would wake up tonight. 

Still he didn’t dare to call from Ronnie’s house. Not only because if Ronnie were to wake up unexpectedly his entire cover would be blown to bits, but also because he couldn’t be sure that the line was secure. He had thought that Ronnie and Reggie were close, but now he wasn’t so sure anymore. It wasn’t unthinkable that Reggie tapped his brother’s phone. 

He hated that multiple people had seen him go into the phone booth, some of which had definitely recognised him. Ronnie’s comment about the Richardsons lingered in his mind, and he felt less than safe. He dialled Kingsman’s number, and could only hope that Merlin’s anger from that afternoon had faded a bit.

****

Merlin knew Eggsy was in a phone booth. But Eggsy couldn’t know that he knew, so he picked up in accordance to the safety protocol “Customer complaints. How may I help you?” 

“Merlin? It’s Eggsy. I have taken one of them things in the boxes. Can you send someone here to pick something up? Roxy or Harry?”

“Hold on, Eggsy.” Merlin put the phone on speaker, so Harry could listen in as well. “Where are you? Why were you attacked?” 

“I’m fine, I’ll explain later, yeah? I’m calling from a phone booth. Can you send someone, please?” There was an urgency to the request. 

Merlin turned to Harry, who nodded. “Wear your earpiece, Harry.” 

“Of course.” Harry left. 

Merlin connected his earpiece to the call. “Harry is on his way. What is your exact location?”

Eggsy described where he was rather clumsily. He sounded distracted. 

“Can you tell Harry to meet me at the corner where the shops are? I’d rather not stay in the booth all this time.” 

Merlin looked at his map. The corner Eggsy was referring to was strategically a much better spot than the phone booth, since he could see everything around him. But when it came to contact, it was not. “Were you followed, Eggsy?” 

“No. No. But I feel safer if I’m not trapped in a small space, you know.” 

“Alright. I’ll let Harry know.” 

“Thank you.” Eggsy hung up. 

****

He was incredibly relieved to see the taxi rounding the corner. It flashed its lights at Eggsy, so he was sure it was Harry. He waved and jogged to the car. 

Harry looked a bit worried when he leaned to the side to unlock the door. 

Eggsy got in. He was glad to see Harry. It was draining, all of this. And while he cared for Ronnie, it was tiring to be on edge all the time. But with Harry, he felt like he could finally relax. “Hi Harry,” he said with a wide grin.

Harry gave him a tentative smile. “Hello Eggsy. Are you alright?” 

It was endearing, Harry asking about him first, not the mission. “I am. Thank you. Just a bit nervous.” 

“Why did Holt attack you? Does he know something?”

Eggsy cleared his throat. “No. He was just sent by Reggie to check in on Ronnie. Ronnie is a bit… unstable at the moment.” It made Eggsy uncomfortable, to discuss Ronnie’s mental health like this. It was none of anybody’s business, was it? 

“What do you mean ‘unstable’?” Harry asked.

“Just, you know. I mean, he always is, isn’t he? It’s just a bit worse than usual. Nothing to worry about. He is asleep, so… yeah.” 

Harry felt like there was something Eggsy wasn’t telling him, but Eggsy continued. “So Holt thought I was a burglar. Anyway, have you seen the boxes? Like, it didn’t look like weapons to me.” 

“Batteries, weren’t they? You took one?” Harry glanced at him from the side.

“Yeah, looked like batteries at least. I got it here.” He took it out of his pocket and handed it over to Harry. Harry looked at it for a moment before putting it in his inner pocket. “They do look like normal batteries. As soon as Merlin has the battery we will try to find out what’s up with them. You did well.” 

There was a moment of comfortable silence. Harry started driving. “Do you want me to drive you home, or are you going back to Ronnie’s?” There was no judgement in his voice, which Eggsy appreciated. “Has Ronnie told you what their plans are?” 

Eggsy sighed. “I think I’ll go back, yeah. He would’ve told me the plans today, but then he got kinda weird in the head and started drinking. He’s passed out now.” 

“Do you think you are safe there? With his mental state? And the other box held a bomb, didn’t it?” Harry sounded like he could not quite believe it. Neither could Eggsy, to be honest. But then again, there were more things he couldn’t have guessed would happen. 

“Yeah,” Eggsy said sheepishly. 

Not really. But he wasn’t Frances. He knew how to defend himself. At least, that was what he kept telling himself. He couldn’t tell Harry that Ronnie had killed Frances. He couldn’t leave now. He had to find out the Kray’s plans and put a stop to them, or everything would have been for nothing; the murder, the way he became Mad Teddy more and more, everything. 

They had driven around the block, and were almost back where they had started. “Eggsy,” Harry sounded tired. “If anything goes wrong, we get you out of there, alright? You can be sure of that. We won’t leave you behind. No matter what.” 

Eggsy nodded. Suddenly, there was a lump in his throat. “Thank you,” he said softly. It meant a lot to him, this reassurance. If Merlin knew that Eggsy had beaten up Matthew Parston, then so did Harry. And if Merlin knew about Jimmy Harvers, Harry probably knew too. And despite that, Harry was concerned for him. Not because he didn’t trust him. He wasn’t worried about the mission, he was worried about Eggsy. He cared about him. 

The car came to a stop. “Thank you for getting here so quickly,” Eggsy mumbled. For some reason he couldn’t look Harry in the eye. 

“Anytime.” It was just one word, but there was so much truth behind it that Eggsy knew for sure that no matter what, Harry would be here if he needed him. Eggsy got out and waved at Harry as he left. 

He felt better now. 

****

Merlin looked sceptical when he twisted the battery in his hands. “It looks like a normal battery,” he said. 

“It does,” Harry said with a sigh. 

Merlin’s frown turned to determination. “I’m going to find out what’s wrong with them.” He got up. “You can keep an eye on Eggsy if you want…” He chuckled, “who am I kidding, of course you want to. Lancelot is going to help you.” 

“I don’t need help with staring at a monitor.” 

“Lancelot is going to help you.” Merlin repeated.

“She’s babysitting me?”

“Lancelot is going to help you.” Merlin grinned. “I’ll be in the lab.” 

Harry rolled his eyes at him. When Merlin opened the door, Roxy was already waiting outside, leaning against the wall across from the office. She smiled at Merlin and went inside, closing the door behind her. “Good evening Harry.” 

“Good evening, Lancelot. So, you’ve been assigned babysit-duty?” He couldn’t hide his annoyance at having a handler. 

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” she smirked. She sat down next to him, facing the monitor. For a long time they sat in uncomfortable silence. 

A sudden sound startled them both. Merlin’s database had been updated. Harry clicked it, leaning forward a bit to read the small print. It was news from Tristan, the Kingsman who worked in the police station. 

It wasn’t about Ronnie or Reggie. Not even about Teddy Smith. It was Frances Shea.

****

Ronnie was still asleep when Eggsy carefully opened the bedroom door. He carefully placed the keys back into Ronnie’s pocket. Maybe it would be easier to get information out of him now that he was drunk. Or maybe he would be met with violence. So he simply sat in the armchair, waiting for something he wasn’t sure he wanted to happen. 

Despite not meaning to, he had started to doze off, when the sound of the telephone rudely shook him awake around two AM. Ronnie growled a bit, opened his eyes and reached for the phone. “Kray,” he said. He sounded terrible, still. He closed his eyes, listening to the voice on the other end of the line. Suddenly he sat up. “Where?”. He listened, and put down the phone. He looked at Eggsy. “We have to go.” He said, fully awake suddenly.

“Why?” He got up. 

Ronnie started looking for his weapons. 

“Under the bed,” Eggsy said. 

Ronnie hummed and grabbed them, holstering them both. 

“Where are we going?” 

“George Cornell,” was the simple answer. 

Oh god. No. 

“What are you going to do?” Eggsy realised he sounded worried, and he was. Ronnie was drunk, he was not thinking straight, and this could turn into a disaster. He didn’t want Ronnie to end up dead.

Ronnie didn’t answer. He went down the stairs and Eggsy followed him. 

“I’ll drive.” Eggsy said. He didn’t care that it would probably make him accessory to murder. It was the least he could do so Ronnie wouldn’t crash his fucking car into a tree.

Ronnie grumbled but gave him the keys. Eggsy tapped his glasses. He hadn’t told Kingsman that Ronnie had killed Frances, but he would tell them this. 

****

“Do you think Eggsy knew?” Roxy asked. There was no accusation in her voice. According to the report, Frances Shea’s husband, Reginald Kray, had found her on the bed that afternoon around two o’clock. She was dead. In her hand was an empty bottle of pills. No note. It looked like suicide, though the responding officers had questioned not only the two men who were in the house at the time of death – Ronald and Reginald Kray – but also the victim’s parents, and were given differing statements. While the twins said that she had been ‘sad’ lately, her parents seemed to believe she was murdered. An autopsy would be needed to make sure.

“Just because Ronnie was there, it doesn’t mean he did it. And it also doesn’t mean he told Eggsy that Frances died.” Harry sighed. He had felt like Eggsy was keeping something from him. Sure, if it really was a suicide it had nothing to do with the investigation. But if it wasn’t… he was taken out of his contemplation when the screen changed to the stream of Eggsy’s glasses. He was in a car, apparently the one driving. “Oh dear,” Harry mumbled. He didn’t know why exactly, but he was sure something bad was going to happen. 

****

“Here it is,” Ronnie said, and already started opening up his car door. Eggsy braked hard on the middle of the street. He didn’t bother parking properly, instead running after Ronnie into the Blind Beggar, the pub where Cornell had apparently been seen. He wasn’t going to let Ronnie go in without back-up. 

The way Ronnie strode in reminded him of a bull that was charging for a matador’s red cape. Ronnie looked left and right, pushed through the crowd without care, only looking for Cornell. A movement by the bar caught both of their attention. A few men were pointing at them. In the middle was George Cornell. 

Eggsy rushed to Ronnie’s side. 

Cornell gave them an unimpressed look. “Look who’s here.” 

Eggsy expected Ronnie to say something, maybe threaten the man, or tell him to leave. He didn’t even have time to process that Ronnie pulled his gun, the next moment Cornell’s brain was blown out of his skull by one perfectly aimed bullet. His limp body fell back against the bar, his cracked skull hit the top of the bar and left a trail of blood and brains as his body sank to the ground. 

Eggsy looked at the other men, his heart racing, pulling his guns just in case someone would want retribution. The entire pub had gone silent. 

Eggsy only noticed now that he men who were with Cornell, who had backed off with terrified expressions on their faces and blood all over them, were not the same people that had been with him when he had mocked Ronnie in the other pub. Nobody seemed to be armed. Or they just knew better than to evoke the wrath of Ronnie Kray. 

And the wrath of his psychopathic lover who was standing by his side with two guns up. 

Eggsy looked at Ronnie in shock. He seemed calm now, sober, amused even. He looked at the body of George Cornell as if it had just told a funny joke. “Not afraid to get the floors dirty here.” he said, sounding satisfied. He turned around, the gun still in his hand. The crowd parted before them like the red sea. No one said a word. 

Getting into the car, Eggsy realised there were tears in his eyes. He blinked them back, not only because he didn’t want Ronnie to see, but also because he had no right to spill tears about this. Not for this reason. He felt sad, but not for Cornell. Not for his friends who had seen him die right in front of them. But for Ronnie. 

Because Eggsy had hoped that the fact that Ronnie had laughed off the insults when they happened, meant that he was not as crazy as he seemed. But now it turned out that he was exactly the cold-blooded killer that his Kingsman-records said he was. 

And that realisation broke his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It looks like this fic will be 19 chapters. We're getting there :)


	15. The last straw

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of action today.

Harry and Roxy looked at the screen in shock. The murder had been so… easy. So calm. Even the victim himself had not seen it coming. Harry had just repeated what where to be his last words “Looks who’s here”, when the bullet hit him. They both didn’t say anything, watching Eggsy and Ronnie go back to the car, trying to understand what had just happened. 

“That’s George Cornell,” Harry said eventually. “He had an altercation with Kray before.” He cleared his throat. “We have evidence on him now. Enough to land him in jail.” 

Roxy seemed to come out of the stupor the events had put her in. “What about the other one? Reggie Kray? You said they both had to go away for life, or Eggsy would be fuck- would be in danger.” 

“Fucked indeed.” Situations like this called for strong language, and Harry wasn’t a saint when it came to swearing. He clenched his fists. Shit. They needed to put Reggie away as well, and they had absolutely nothing on him. Harry wanted to drive up there right now and drag Eggsy away, kicking and screaming if need be, mission be damned. He wanted him out of there. But that would put Eggsy at risk for the rest of his life. “You are right.” They needed something on Reggie. And they needed it fast.

****

After a few minutes of driving in loaded silence, Eggsy gathered the courage to gently reach out to Ronnie and pull the gun from his hand. Ronnie didn’t seem to mind, didn’t even seem to notice, really. Eggsy put the gun under his seat.

The adrenaline started to wear off fast. He tried to ignore the way his whole body was trembling, but there was no way he could ignore it. Witnessing the murder had brought back the memories of killing Jimmy Harvers in vivid detail, and it made him feel nauseous. He tried to reason with himself, convince himself that it was Teddy Smith who had killed that man, not Eggsy Unwin, but it didn’t work. Look at him, pretending to have a split personality like some loon. He knew he would have to stay over at Ronnie’s tonight; there was simply no viable reason why not. He wouldn’t get any sleep tonight.

Ronnie was looking blankly ahead. He didn’t seem angry or relieved or happy. There was no emotion on his face at all.

Maybe that was the scariest part.

When they arrived at Ronnie’s, Eggsy didn’t retrieve the gun from under his seat. It didn’t seem safe to give it to Ronnie yet. First he needed to know what mood Ronnie was in.

He needed to know if he was in danger himself.

They walked in and Ronnie sat down in the same armchair he had sat in that afternoon. Jesus, was it really only a few hours ago that they had sat here and Eggsy had tried to console Ronnie? So much had changed in the last few hours… Ronnie had killed Frances, for whatever fucking reason, and then he had killed George Cornell. And while Eggsy had thought that Ronnie had cried over Frances, he wasn’t sure anymore if Ronnie really felt remorse about it.

Eggsy was just about to sit down when the doorbell rang. He looked at his watch. It was almost three AM. Who the fuck - the police. O God, it had to be. Eggsy looked at Ronnie, who didn’t seem fazed at all. “Could you get the door, Teddy?”

Either Ronnie was too bloody stupid to realise that it had to be the cops, or he didn’t give a shit anymore.

Eggsy could only hope that it was the Kingsman-kind of police and they were here to extract him. His heart sank a bit. They had nothing on Reggie. Fuck, fuck, goddamn shit! They were not supposed to get him out yet! He tapped his glasses, just in case it was the real cops. Harry would get him out, just like he had done after Eggsy had crashed the car. It would be alright… he hoped.

With a heavy heart he went to the door. The moment he opened it, he was grabbed by the collar by Reggie, and slammed against the wall. “Holy shit, Reg-“ Reggie was holding the sides of his collar so tight that the fabric of his shirt pushed against his throat. The button could snap any moment, Eggsy thought, and it would be a relief.

Reggie had his face uncomfortably close to Eggsy’s. “I know he told you!” he hissed, and Eggsy had no idea what he was talking about and was about to say it, when Reggie pulled him a few inches closer, just to smack him against the wall once more. “And if you ever, EVER tell a soul what you know about Frances, no matter what you mean to Ronnie, I. WILL. KILL. YOU. Understood?”

Eggsy nodded, confused and scared. Did Reggie know Ronnie killed Frances? And was his only concern that Ronnie would not go down for it?

As if Reggie had read his thoughts, he invaded Eggsy’s space even more, his nose almost touching Eggsy’s, and whispered “This is between me and my brother. No police. If I have the smallest hunch that you’ve been flapping that pretty mouth of yours to the coppers, it will be the last thing you do. Do you understand?” The craziness in his eyes rivalled Ronnie’s in that moment. It was terrifying. 

“I do.” Eggsy said quickly, his voice sounding hoarse due to the way his shirt was tight around his throat. “I understand. And I would never tell the cops! Or anyone!” he meant it, and not just because he was almost pissing himself.

Reggie stared at him a moment longer, then he let go of Eggsy’s suit and brushed some imaginary dust off it. “Good,” he said, sounding as friendly as ever. “Now, Ronnie and I have something to take care of…or someone.” Reggie pushed past him and went to the living room.

Fuck.

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.

He was gonna kill Ronnie.

His own goddamn brother. No no no.

Eggsy ran after him, ready to fight him, but Reggie was standing a few feet away from Ronnie, unarmed.

“We need to kill Jack McVitie,” Reggie stated calmly.

What? Who the fuck was Jack McVitie?

Eggsy wasn’t entirely convinced this was not just a diversion, so he kept his hand close to his weapons.

“Why?” Ronnie asked, sounding bored. Two murders in a day really took the shine off another one, apparently.

“Because,” and now Reggie started to sound angry, “an entire pub of people, some Richardson related, some just civilians, just saw you blow Cornell’s brains out! And it only takes ONE person to give evidence against you, which will cost me a fuckload of money at best, and will open a whole goddamn investigation at worst. And McVitie, who I bloody ordered to NOT LET THIS HAPPEN has not only failed to mention that Cornell was even back in London at all, he has also been paid generously for taking Cornell out, which he hasn’t bloody done! And what he DOES have, is the money I gave him UP FRONT and the knowledge that I wanted Cornell dead! So if he decides that he has enough money to go live somewhere else, what is keeping him from telling the cops? You know that money-hungry piece of shit would rat us out for a few thousand quid, and I’m not taking any chances with him! So we’re going to take care of it!” Reggie turned to Eggsy, his chest heaving and his eyes full of anger, “And you’re driving!”

****

Harry almost jumped out of his chair when Merlin pushed the door open a bit too hard, making it collide with the wall with a loud bang. Merlin seemed both worried and excited about something, which probably wasn’t a good sign. But he needed to hear about Frances first. “Merlin-“ 

“I’m sure it can wait, Harry.” Merlin walked in with big steps, sat down, and looked at both agents. “The batteries are indeed the weapon. I cannot be a hundred percent sure of this right now, but it seems that if the battery is used, in a radio for example, it transmits some kind of signal that makes people feel suicidal. At least that is what happened to the young Ector when I put him in a room with the radio playing.” He looked a bit guilty, but not guilty enough. He was impressed. “Don’t worry, he is fine, and he will be on suicide watch for as long as needed.” 

“That can mean that both the Krays and Frances’ parents are right!” Roxy said. “It was suicide, but it was brought on by the batteries! So, she WAS murdered by the Krays!” 

“What?” Merlin looked puzzled.

“Frances Shea has been found dead.” Harry said flatly. “But that is not the only thing that has just happened. Ronnie Kray just went to a pub, walked right up to a person and shot him through the head.” 

“Oh.” Merlin rubbed the back of his head. “That is….” He shook his head.

“That is good in a way, since we now have evidence on him. But I don’t like the way that people around the Krays have started dropping like flies all of a sudden.” Harry stood up and started pacing around. 

“You’re worried about Eggsy?” Merlin asked.

“Yes! We thought there was NO way that the Krays would use the weapons on their own people, and now Reggie’s wife is dead! And we can try to tell ourselves that it is just a coincidence, but with what you’ve discovered, I think it’s fair to say she probably died next to a radio.” 

“Hold on. I’ll call Tristan.” Merlin pulled the phone closer and dialled a number. While he waited, Harry continued to walk around the office, like an animal trapped in a small cage. Which was probably exactly how he felt, Roxy realised. He was here, while Eggsy was there, and probably in more danger than he realised. And still, there was nothing Harry could do. 

“Tristan! Was there a radio in Frances’ room? Or some other battery powered device?” Merlin listened to the answer and let out a deep sigh. “How long? ... Good. …. I will contact you later to explain.” He hung up. “The radio was on when the cops showed up, but one of them immediately turned it off. I don’t think they will be affected by it, since Ector only started feeling bad after a couple of minutes.” 

Harry stopped pacing. “But Ronnie and Reggie both were in the house when it happened. They found her, and since the radio was still on when the cops showed up, that means it was also on when they found her. So they were close, they have been exposed to it as well.” He started pacing again. “Maybe that is why Ronnie just shot that guy without any regard for his own life. I mean, this was not the kind of kill that is thought through, planned out. It seemed more like a spur of the moment kind of thing. I guess he didn’t care if he died, he had an overwhelming urge to do this, so he did.” Harry froze. “Oh God.” He looked at Merlin with wide eyes. “What if he is going to kill Eggsy?! What if it affects him in such a way that he is no longer in control of his own emotions, and Eggsy does something –anything- that Ronnie doesn’t like? He’s going to kill him!” Harry had turned pale. He rubbed his face with trembling fingers, somehow not looking like Harry Hart at all. “We need to get Eggsy out of there!” 

“But Reggie-“ Roxy said.

“To hell with the mission! We’ll figure it out!” Harry looked at Merlin.

He nodded solemnly. “I agree.” 

“Merlin!” Roxy said. It sounded like a warning. She was pointing at the screen.

Harry and Merlin looked up, just in time to see Eggsy getting thrown up against a wall, by none other than Reggie Kray.

****

Ronnie and Reggie sat in the back while Eggsy drove. Reggie was filling them in on what was about to happen, whilst giving Eggsy directions every once in a while. “I told McVitie we were having an unexpected party on Evering Road. Said it was because the deal with Valentine was a success. He’ll hopefully arrive just after us.”

Eggsy shuddered. How could Reggie sit in this car with his brother, who had just killed his wife, and calmly discuss another murder? He regretted not having rushed to Ronnie’s side when Reggie started talking. As it was now, he had only filmed the back of Reggie’s head, so Kingsman wouldn’t know what they were about to do.

Fuck fuck fuck. He didn’t like this at all.

****

“I don’t like this at all,” Harry said, once again pacing around. “Where the hell could they be going?” They were certainly not going to the docks, nor to one of the pubs owned by the Krays. The red dot crossed a line, indicating they were in a different district now. “Stoke Newington?” Harry asked. “What’s there?” 

Merlin was going through his database frantically. “I don’t know, I don’t know.” He sounded as stressed as Merlin could ever get.

Roxy was chewing her fingernails. “Maybe that’s the point? There is no connection between them and the place, meaning that if they are to commit a murder, they are more likely to get away with it.” 

“I like the way you think,” Merlin said distractedly.

“I don’t.” Harry said. “If you’re right, who’s to say they aren’t going to murder Eggsy and leave his body there? Making it harder to trace it back to them?” 

Neither Merlin nor Roxy said a word. They knew he was right.

The car came to a stop. “Evering Road,” Roxy read aloud from the map.

The stream showed Eggsy getting out of the car, as well as the twins. They were in front of an unassuming flat. Reggie walked towards the door and swung it open, Ronnie and Eggsy followed. When Eggsy walked through the door, just as he was completely behind Ronnie’s back, he formed a gun with his fingers, followed by a thumbs up.

“They are here to murder someone, and he’s fine?” Merlin asked, looking at Harry and Roxy.

“Probably?” Roxy said.

Harry pressed his lips together in a hard line. He sighed. “That’s my guess as well.”

They watched nervously as the three men entered a room to the right. It was completely empty, the grey cement floor and the unpainted walls indicating that no one had lived there for a long time. Eggsy kept looking at the door, apparently expecting someone else to come in as well. The wait was gruesome. Merlin, Harry and Roxy were staring at the screen, looking at what Eggsy was seeing miles away, waiting with him for… something. Something that was undoubtedly horrifying and violent. The wait made Roxy feel nauseous. After a few minutes of waiting, during which Roxy felt more and more like she was going to vomit, Eggsy lifted his hand, the way one does when one hears a sound. His gaze moved from the door to the twins.

Ronnie nodded and walked over to the door, positioning himself next to it.  


Reggie stayed where he was, next to Eggsy.  


The door opened.  


****  


A sound outside alerted Eggsy to someone approaching the building. Instinctively he held up one hand to warn the brothers. Ronnie nodded and went to the door. For a moment Eggsy thought he was probably going to shoot McVitie the moment he got in, but he’d have to stand on the other side of the door to do that. So it was to not let him get away. What were they going to do to him?  


Eggsy’s stomach clenched.  


The door opened.  


A man who looked to be around forty years old, with dark, thinning hair walked in. His face showed the exact moment he realised what was about to happen: his eyes widened when he registered the fact that there were just three people, his mouth formed a surprised O. Before he had the chance to turn around and walk out, Ronnie kicked the door shut. McVitie pulled his shoulders up and ducked his head in a reflex.  


Reggie pointed his gun at him and fired.  


And fired again.  


McVitie looked up, something like relief on his face. The gun had failed to fire twice, McVitie probably thought it was a joke. The next moment his relief turned to terror when Ronnie jumped him from behind, holding him.  


Reggie turned to Eggsy “Give me your knife!” he screamed.  


Eggsy reached into his suit, fumbling with the strap that kept the knife in place. Frustrated, Reggie reached in himself, pulling out Eggsy’s Kingsman knife. He jumped forward and stabbed McVitie in the face, right under his eye. Blood came pouring out immediately, running over his face and neck. McVitie screamed in terror, and Eggsy knew he would never forget this sight, this scream. He stood frozen to the ground while Reggie stabbed McVitie in the stomach. Ronnie let go, making McVitie double over and fall to the floor. Reggie crouched down a bit, stabbing him in the face again. McVitie fell back, made a futile attempt at fighting back, and Reggie drove the blade deep into his neck. He twisted it and it couldn’t be more clear that he had hit the carotid artery; blood started flowing out onto the floor, impossibly red, impossibly fast. There was a gurgling sound, then something like a cough, and McVitie’s eyes rolled back. Reggie pushed in further, all the way to the handle, and McVitie stopped moving. Reggie stood up, leaving the knife in McVitie’s body, the handle sticking out of his neck. He took a step back, to avoid getting blood on his shoes. ‘We’re done here,” he said, sounding way too calm for someone who had just brutally murdered someone. “Let’s go home.”  


****  


Harry and Roxy were still looking at the screen in horror, where blood kept flowing out of the cut on the dead man’s neck. They both startled when they suddenly heard Merlin’s voice, not only right beside them, but also through every speaker on the estate. “Assemble the Kingsmen, assemble the Kingsmen.” Merlin paused for a moment and pushed the button on his desk again. “All of them.”  


He put a hand on both of their shoulders, an earnest and determined expression on his face. He squeezes their shoulders reassuringly. “This is enough evidence. We’re going in.”


	16. The arrest/The choice

Merlin had gone into full Merlin-mode, pulling up a kind of 3D-model of Ronnie Kray’s house, the unexplored rooms accounted for with grey blocks, while the ones Eggsy had been in were modelled completely, furniture and all. “I want Bors and Lancelot upstairs, Percival and Kay behind this door,” he pointed at the cellar door, “Galahad and Gawain in the kitchen, Gareth behind the house, in case they go through the backdoor.” He pulled up a screenshot from Eggsy’s feed, from when he was standing in the cellar. “This box contains a bomb. An actual, real bomb. Percival and Kay, if you hear anything that may indicate it is on a timer or somehow else activated, you get out of there immediately. The other boxes are of no concern right now.” He pulled up a picture of Eggsy now, in his marine’s uniform. “What is of concern, is that we get this person out alive. Eggsy Unwin. Lee’s son.” He looked at Gawain and Bors in particular, two men who had known Lee when he was a recruit. “In the best case scenario we arrest all of them, no bullets fired. However, if any of you has to choose between Eggsy’s survival and the survival of a target, I want absolutely no one to hesitate. Did everyone get that? When push comes to shove, sod the mission and get Eggsy out alive!” He looked around the room, at the agents who were nodding, at Harry who looked pale but determined. At Roxy, who had never done anything like this. God, he hoped this wouldn’t turn into a disaster. “Now, it is of ultimate importance that no one says Eggsy’s name during the arrest. If you must get his attention for whatever reason, call him Edward Smith. We will not blow his cover until the trial. I will be connected to all of your earpieces, you can talk to me as well. Lamorak is waiting downstairs with three police cars. Bring the Krays and Eggsy all to the police station in separate cars! Tristan will take it from there.” He looked at Harry, to see if he had said everything. 

Harry nodded. 

“Good luck, agents.” Merlin took a step back, and the agents all rushed out of his office to the parking lot. 

****

Eggsy was sweating and his heart was racing when they got back into the car. Ronnie and Reggie both sat in the back again, and it terrified him. He kept glancing at the rear-view mirror, just to make sure that neither one of them was about to kill him. Nothing would surprise him anymore. His knife was still in McVitie’s throat, which he figured was better than being in Reggie’s possession right now, and Reggie’s gun wouldn’t fire. Ronnie, however, was armed as well. 

Eggsy’s jaw was trembling, which he tried to hide by clenching his jaw. He glanced into the mirror again, to see Reggie staring at him. Eggsy quickly looked at the road again. Suddenly he wondered why Reggie had left the knife behind. There had to be fingerprints on it. Reggie’s fingerprints. Either, Reggie had already tasked someone with hiding the body, or they were going to pin this on Eggsy somehow. His prints were on the knife too.

He tried to breathe normally, but his breath was ragged and laboured. His heart kept thumping loudly in his chest. He had witnessed two murders in the last few hours, and heard evidence of one more. 

Why now? How had everything spiralled out of control this fast? 

He kept his glasses-stream on, just in case – and the thought made him panic a bit – they would ask him to stop somewhere and kill him. At least Kingsman would be able to find him. At least this time his mum would have a body to bury. 

He looked in the mirror again. 

Reggie was still staring.

****

Merlin was alone. He was used to it, had been for years. And yet the silence was different now. Over the last few weeks he had gotten accustomed to Harry being around all the time, even if he hadn’t always appreciated it. He had grown fond of his company the same way he had grown fond of the smelly kitten he had found when he was just a boy. Tentative at first, until one day you realise you wouldn’t want it any other way. 

He was looking at his monitor with an overwhelming sense of dread. Eggsy was getting closer and closer to Ronnie Kray’s house, and so were the three Kingsman cars. They had to arrive before Eggsy and the Krays did, and Merlin had no real reason to doubt it, but with Eggsy behind the wheel one could never know. It was like watching a race, where only one of the contestants was aware they were participating. 

He watched the three blue dots come to a stop one block from the house. The agents would go on by foot. If the Krays saw the police cars, there was no telling what they would do. And Kingsman needed the element of surprise. 

He looked at what Eggsy was seeing. The stream had gone on uninterrupted all this time, and he saw Eggsy look in his mirror again and again. Merlin didn’t like the way Reggie was looking at Eggsy. Not with anger, or annoyance, or anything. There was no emotion in the look at all. 

And that worried him. 

****

Eggsy was close to tears when he pulled into the driveway of Ronnie’s house. One could only be terrified so much before needing a good cry. More than anything, he wanted to just get out of there. Just go to his flat and not feel this endless sense of dread. Of fear. He wanted to call Kingsman and hear Harry’s voice. He wanted someone to tell him it was going to be okay. 

He wanted to believe it himself.

****

Merlin breathed out very slowly to calm his nerves. “Thirty seconds,” he said. He had given the half-minute warning hundreds of times before, when crime-bosses unexpectedly arrived back at their mansion, when a security guard was about to start his round and arrive at where an agent was cracking a safe, when he needed someone to get their sniper rifle together before their target left the building they were in. 

Hundreds of times, and never had it made him feel like this. 

Like it was a lot of time, in which there were endless possibilities for something to go wrong, while at the same time it felt too short. 

The blink of an eye. 

Everything could change in thirty seconds. Lives could be saved or taken, changed or stay unaffected. All because of them. Because of Kingsman. 

Hundreds of times, but this time it was different. Different because he had no clue what was going to happen. Different because Eggsy wasn’t an agent. Different because he was Lee Unwin’s son. Different because Merlin was scared for Eggsy. Different because he cared for him. 

****

Eggsy could barely hide the way his hands were shaking when he got out of the car. He held on to the keys very tightly in an effort to still his hands. 

Ronnie didn’t notice, too busy digging up his house key and opening the front door. 

Reggie did. 

Eggsy pretended he didn’t see it. He stalled until Reggie was walking towards the door, so he wouldn’t have to turn his back on him. He followed the brothers into the living room. 

Reggie sat down on the couch, while Ronnie went straight to where he kept his liquor, close to the kitchen door. 

Eggsy went over to him, under the pretence of wanting to help with the glasses. He had to get away from the scrutinizing gaze of Reggie Kray. He smiled at Ronnie, who smiled back, and grabbed two glasses. 

A soft click coming from the kitchen made him turn his head reflexively, just in time to see something that looked like a lighter fly into the room. “GET DOWN!” Eggsy screamed, throwing his arms up to protect his face from what he figured was a flashbang. The object connected with the floor with a way too heavy thud, then it started spouting thick, yellow smoke. Eggsy could only make out that Reggie jumped up immediately, drawing his gun, but the smoke filled the whole room, making it difficult to see anything. Eggsy jumped aside, clinging to Ronnie instinctively, wanting to protect and be protected all at once. His heart was racing painfully hard, he could feel it in his throat like a heavy lump. Ronnie made a weird motion with his arm, screaming “REGGIE?”. 

No answer. The next moment there were heavy footsteps, not just from the kitchen, but also from the hall and upstairs. 

No, no, no. 

Friend or foe? Kingsman or real police? 

Or Richardsons? 

Eggsy swallowed with difficulty. The smoke filled his lungs and stung in his eyes. It was impossible to know how many people there were. 

“On the ground!” an authoritative male voice demanded. 

Eggsy pulled on Ronnie’s arm to drag him down onto the floor. Whoever they were, they had the upper hand, not just number-wise. A shot was fired and Eggsy ducked, throwing himself flat on the floor. Ronnie took a step towards where the voice had sounded. Eggsy pushed himself up to his knees and pulled his arm again, “RONNIE PLEASE! THEY WILL KILL YOU!” He was panicking, taking ragged breaths, trying to see in the thick smoke. It was starting to get thinner. He barely registered that Reggie appeared to be still standing, when he saw a masked person approach from the corner of his eyes. Before he could warn Ronnie, the person kicked Ronnie in the back of the knees, making him fall to his knees with a groan. 

Ronnie got up immediately, pulling his gun. 

The person disarmed him with practised ease, but Ronnie wouldn’t go down without a fight: he punched the person in the side of the jaw, hard enough to make him tumble backwards a bit. 

Another person came running, punching Ronnie in the face, surprising him. Ronnie groaned and turned around to fight this new attacker. 

Eggsy took a step forward to help, but the next moment he was grabbed from behind by two strong arms and thrown onto the floor. Someone jumped onto him and pinned him down. Eggsy tried to turn around, to wriggle out of the grip, but it didn’t work. Two shots were fired a few feet away, from two different directions, and a scream indicated that Reggie had been hit. 

Eggsy stopped struggling and looked sideways, to make sure Ronnie was still alive. 

He was still fighting. 

Eggsy’s vision became blurry, and for one confusing moment he thought he had been hit in the head, but then he realised they were tears. He was scared, terrified, but not only for his own safety but also for the man to his side, who was fending off two men at once. 

Eggsy wanted to scream at him to surrender, wanted to scream again that they would kill him if he didn’t, but the only sound out of his mouth was a loud sob. 

The person on him had his hands in a steady grip, there was no way he could escape this. 

There was nothing he could do. 

He couldn’t look at Ronnie. He didn’t want to see him die. He couldn’t bear it. 

He closed his eyes and tried to drown out the sound of fists on flesh, of men grunting with pain, of the ragged breathing of panic and fear. He heard a particular loud hit and a body dropped to the floor next to him. His eyes flew open without him wanting to, his body deciding he needed to know even if his mind didn’t want to. 

Ronnie was lying on the floor next to him, on his stomach, with a person on top of him holding him down, while another person who was handcuffing him. He wasn’t struggling anymore. His eyes were open, rolling a bit, unable to focus on Eggsy’s. 

But he was alive. 

Ronnie was pulled up by the two men. Eggsy blinked back the tears and finally looked at the person who was pinning his hands down over his head, and now lifted the black mask a bit.

His eyes widened when he recognized the Kingsman. 

Percival.

He was safe. 

It was over. 

**** 

Merlin focussed on Percival’s stream, trying to pick up what was being said, while watching Percival handcuff Eggsy and lead him through the front door. While fighting, the microphone had been nearly useless, too much sounds were being picked up. But now that Percival and Eggsy went outside, he could hear it loud and clear. “Can I be in a car with him, please?” Eggsy begged. His voice was thick like there was a lump in his throat. He kept turning his head, trying to see Ronnie, who was being escorted out by Kay. Merlin wanted to comment to Percival that Eggsy was a good actor, but stopped himself. He wasn’t sure Eggsy was acting at all.

He switched to Harry’s stream. Harry was still in the living room of Ronnie Kray’s house, waiting for Kingsman’s forensic division. He had been the one to throw the smoke-grenade, and the second person to jump in, right after Gawain, who had disarmed Ronnie immediately. 

Merlin knew that in every other situation, more shots would have been fired.

But these were the Krays, and it was of utter importance that they were arrested, not killed. It would ironically enough send a bigger message to have them arrested: proof that the police were not afraid to arrest the biggest, most powerful men in London. And there was another reason. 

Eggsy. 

Watching someone you know get shot was not something people got back from easily, even if that person was dangerous, a criminal. They wanted to save Eggsy this harrowing experience. 

“Galahad,” he said softly. “Are you okay?” 

Harry was staring blankly ahead, at the small puddle of blood where his shot had skimped Reggie’s arm, exactly like he had meant to. He cleared his throat. “Yes, Merlin. Is Eggsy okay?” 

Merlin switched back to Eggsy, who by now was sitting in the back of a police car, with Percival behind the wheel. He went over to Percival’s stream, who looked in the rear-view mirror to reveal that Eggsy was crying. 

“He isn’t hurt, if that’s what you mean. Percival was careful with him.” 

“That is not what I mean,” Harry said softly.

Merlin sighed. He knew that, but he didn’t know the answer to the real question. “I don’t know, Galahad. I really don’t.” 

“Can I talk to him?” Harry asked. He sounded exhausted. Sad. 

“If you want. I’ll send a taxi your way.” 

“Thank you, Merlin.” 

“Always.” 

****

Eggsy kept sobbing the whole way to the police station. Percival did his best to brief Eggsy on what was going on, and Eggsy tried to nod at the right moments. They were going to put him in a cell, and he would be questioned by Tristan, another Kingsman. Percival was saying lots of things, something about statements and trials and, and, and. 

Eggsy interrupted Percival in the middle of his explanation. “Sorry – do you know anything about Ronnie? Is he alright?” 

Percival looked at him in the mirror and smiled apologetically. “Merlin?” he asked. He listened to Merlin for what felt like hours to Eggsy. Then he looked at Eggsy again. “He was fighting both Gawain and Galahad, but Merlin says they did their best to minimise injuries.” 

“He wasn’t shot?” 

Percival shook his head. “Reggie was.” He paused. “Just superficially!” he added, giving Eggsy a worried look in the mirror. “Sorry. He’ll be okay, it was just to disarm him.” 

“There were three shots.” He knew it sounded accusatory, but he disliked not getting the full story. 

Percival didn’t seem offended at his tone of voice. On the contrary, he seemed proud. “Indeed. Reggie fired towards the kitchen first, but only hit the wall. The less bullets flying around in a situation like this the better, so we intended to just wait for him to get disarmed. Also, we really didn’t think he would fire again while his brother was standing so close to his target, and without seeing anything. We were wrong, so someone shot him in the arm, and seconds later he was disarmed and handcuffed.” 

“Who shot him?” Eggsy asked. It seemed important, somehow. 

Percival didn’t answer. He nodded a bit, listening to Merlin. Then he looked in the mirror. “Galahad did.” 

Eggsy didn’t ask any more questions after that. 

He felt like he had left a part of himself behind in that house, and he wasn’t sure if he should feel this bad about it. 

****

“Edward Smith,” the man said, closing the door to the interrogation room behind himself. “I am Tristan.” He pushed his glasses up with a pointed look. 

Merlin was watching then. Good. It was a relief that someone was looking in on this conversation, someone who Eggsy trusted. 

He had never met Tristan before. The only thing he knew about him was that he worked in the police station to pass on information to Kingsman. 

“There are no camera’s here,” Tristan motioned around the room, “and besides Merlin, there is no one who can hear this conversation. You can talk freely, though for purpose of staying in character, I will call you Edward Smith. Is that okay with you?” 

Eggsy nodded. The way Tristan introduced himself and flicked through a file all showed he had done this hundreds of times before. Talking to suspects. Getting them to talk. Eggsy briefly wondered if he was supposed to tell Tristan everything or to keep his mouth shut, like Mad Teddy would do. Percival had said something about this, but Eggsy wasn’t really listening, too busy worrying about Ronnie’s safety. 

As if Tristan could read his mind, he gave Eggsy a reassuring smile. “I will first explain to you what is going to happen now.” This time Eggsy did listen. 

It would be a closed trial, meaning that there would be no audience or jury. The footage Eggsy had made of the murders would be shown to the judge only, so the Krays wouldn’t know he had been the one to rat them out. “We are pushing for a speedy trial, and believe me, the police and judge will want that as well. We’ll make sure of it. For now we are just keeping you here to keep you and your cover safe.” 

Eggsy nodded. 

“I will tell my superiors I didn’t get you to talk, and I’ll bring you to your cell later. Galahad wanted to see you first.” Tristan left, returning a couple of minutes later. He opened the door, ushered Harry in and left them alone, saying he’d be waiting just outside the door to smuggle Harry back out.

Harry looked tired when he walked in. He seemed to scan Eggsy quickly, for injuries perhaps, or to assess his mental state, then he sat down, giving Eggsy a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “How are you holding up?” He sounded genuinely concerned. 

Eggsy shrugged. “Gonna be here for a couple o’ days, am I not? Better get used to it.” There was an awkward silence. Eggsy scratched his wrists where the handcuffs had been. He could still feel them, somehow. “Thank you for…” the words died on his lips. What was he going to say? Thanks for not shooting Ronnie? It was Harry’s job, not a fucking personal favour. “For getting me out safely,” he concluded. 

“Like I said. Anytime.” 

Eggsy had known it weren’t just empty words, but still it was nice that Harry kept his promise, that he remembered. 

“Percival and Tristan have briefed you, I believe.” Harry said. “I’m awfully sorry you’ll have to stay here for the time being, the trial will hurry along, I assure you. We are collecting dirt on the judges right now, whoever will be presiding will have good reason to not give into any bribes the Krays might offer.” 

Eggsy nodded again. He didn’t trust his own voice right now. So that was what Tristan had meant when he said the judge would want a speedy trial as well. They would pressure the judge. Eggsy didn’t really mind. He wanted this to be over, all of it. As fast as possible.

There was a knock on the door, Tristan indicating they needed to wrap things up. 

“I will try to be here again before the trial.” Harry said, getting up. “You did really well, Eggsy. Lee would be proud.” He walked to the door. Before opening it, he turned around once more. “And so am I.” 

****

He didn’t know how bloody long he’d been in his cell, only that it had been long enough to make him go fucking crazy. There was nothing in the cell to keep him distracted, just an oddly sticky plastic mattress on a metal bed and a urinal with a fucking small sink. There was a small window in the door of his cell, letting a tiny bit of light shine through. He didn’t know what time it was. He’d had to give all his possessions away. 

Of course. 

Officially he was a fucking prisoner. He wondered where Ronnie was, regretting he hadn’t asked Harry or Tristan when he had had the chance. 

Just a few hours ago he would’ve thought that given the chance, he would sleep for hours. Now he knew how wrong he’d been. 

He was haunted by memories of George Cornell’s brain leaving a slimy trail on the bar. He kept hearing McVitie’s scream when Reggie plunged the knife into his face, the gurgling sound McVitie made when he was choking on his own blood. The indifference in Reggie’s eyes when he was looking at the dead body. 

The amusement in Ronnie’s eyes when he had been looking at Cornell’s. 

There was a soft sound outside his cell, quiet footsteps. A guard, making his late round. 

“Teddy?” 

Startled, Eggsy sat up. It had been merely a whisper, he wasn’t sure he’d heard it correctly. 

“Teddy?” 

And now he was definitely sure. He stood up, rushing to the small window. “Yes?” he whispered back. 

What the fuck was happening? 

There was a soft scraping sound, like metal on metal, then he heard a key being pushed into the lock. 

Oh no. Oh no no no! They knew. 

The Krays fucking knew. 

Somehow, someone had talked, or they had figured it out, and now they had paid off a guard to kill him. 

Eggsy cursed himself for having said yes, he looked around for something to use as a weapon, even though he knew there was nothing. He took a few steps back. Maybe he could handle the guard in hand to hand combat. He didn’t like his odds though. 

The door opened very slowly, probably to make as little sound as possible. Light flooded into his cell, illuminating the figure from behind, making it difficult to make out his features, while making it very obvious he was holding multiple items, including at least one gun. Then the person turned his head a little, and Eggsy’s jaw dropped. “Ronnie?” 

Ronnie took a step into the cell. He grinned. “Hello, Teddy. I’ve come to get you out of here.” 

****

Merlin had been lying in bed for not even a minute, with Nikola Tesla and Alan Turing snuggled up to his chest, when his alarm started ringing. Tesla and Turing jumped up, one of them digging her nails into his chest painfully, and ran around the room in a panic.

“God-fucking-damnit!” Merlin cursed. His alarm could be going off for two reasons only. Either, there was someone breaking into his home, and one look at the screens showing his security cameras assured him that this was not the case, or something fucking terrible had happened at Kingsman. 

“I go home ONE FUCKING time!” Merlin yelled, flipping the switch that turned the alarms off. 

He accessed his computer, looking for the thing that could have set the alarm off. He had all kinds of security measures in place. If someone accessed his computer at Kingsman he would get this warning, and if anything happened that wasn’t supposed to, like-

“Holy-Jesus-Shit!” 

\- like Eggsy’s glasses rapidly leaving the station where he was supposed to be in fucking lock-up. 

He had dialled Harry’s number before even realising what a bad idea it was, the next moment he was blurting out “Eggsy’s escaped!” while looking at the red dot moving incredibly fast through the streets of London. 

“Are you a hundred percent sure? Merlin?! Are you sure? Can it not be that they are moving his possessions somewhere else?” Harry was grasping at straws, understandably.

Merlin watched the dot round a corner without visibly slowing down. He swallowed hard. “Harry, I’m a hundred percent sure Eggsy’s in a car, and he is driving.” He heard Harry say something, but he was distracted by Eggsy’s glasses-feed switching on, showing him a glimpse of London by night, then Eggsy turned his head to show his passenger, and while it was so fucking obvious it still made Merlin’s mouth go dry. “Harry, Ronnie Kray is with him.” 

**** 

Eggsy felt something between sheer terror and long-forgotten joy when he raced through the relatively empty streets. Every once in a while he swerved to overtake a slow car. It didn’t look like they were followed, but it couldn’t take long until someone caught onto the fact they were gone, someone else than the police officer who had apparently been promised a couple of thousand pounds for giving Ronnie the keys to Eggsy’s cell and the bags with their belongings. The police officer had also left the door to one of the police cars open with the keys in the ignition. Eggsy couldn’t know whether anyone was watching his feed right now – it wouldn’t make any sense, but miracles happened right? – or if they would be able to recognise the streets while he was driving through them at this speed. He had no idea where they were going, but Ronnie had, as he was giving directions every once in a while. Ronnie was ecstatic, cheering with his arms in the air whenever Eggsy overtook someone, screaming all kinds of shit about how easy it had been, and that they were free men. His bad mood from the past day had passed completely. 

It was infectious somehow. 

The speed, the thrill of it all, reminded Eggsy of a time before Kingsman. Before he was a potential Lancelot. Before he was Mad Teddy. 

Back when being Eggsy Unwin had been enough.

****

“It looks like a warehouse, Galahad. No connection to the Krays that I know of. Do not go in there without back-up, I’m sending Percival.” 

“That would take too long.” Harry said. The low hum of his car, combined with the determination in his voice made Merlin feel uneasy. “Galahad…” he said, intending it to sound like a warning. Instead, it sounded like a plea. “Since Eggsy has his glasses, I’m sure they have their weapons as well. Be careful, Galahad, please!” 

Harry looked to his passenger seat, at the gun that was lying there, ready to be used. “And I have mine.” 

****

“What is this place?” Eggsy whispered. Ronnie had told him to stop here, in front of an abandoned looking warehouse of some sort. Eggsy had no clue where they were. Ronnie didn’t answer, pushing at a door, then putting his entire weight into it. It sprang open. 

“Seems good enough for one night.” Ronnie said. 

Eggsy was shaking. What if they found them? 

What if they DIDN’T find them? 

Where the hell would they even go? He had been so done with this, so ready to leave all of this behind, to finally be Eggsy again, and now this. He wanted to cry, but falling out of his role right now would surely get him killed. Ronnie would catch on eventually. 

The building only had windows on one side. The floors were concrete, covered in sawdust, as if it had been a sawmill once. No machinery was left. 

He looked at Ronnie. “Yeah. It does.” 

Ronnie grinned at him and took a few fast steps towards him, picked him up and spun him around, laughing loudly. Eggsy put his hands on Ronnie’s shoulders as Ronnie put him on the ground again, and smiled at him. Ronnie pulled him closer, kissing him softly. “We’re free,” he said, sounding like he couldn’t quite believe it. 

“Yes,” Eggsy whispered. He was amazed at this man, who somehow was always a step ahead. Who wasn’t afraid of anything or anyone. Who had danced with him in the kitchen to ‘The Look of Love’, whispering that he loved this song. Who had risked everything by going to Eggsy’s cell as well and getting him out. Who didn’t leave Eggsy behind. 

Eggsy gently touched Ronnie’s cheeks, cupping them between his hands. He leaned in closer, pressing a soft kiss to Ronnie’s lips. Then he pulled back. “I’m going to get my holster. Feel slightly more relaxed with it on.” 

“Sure,” Ronnie grinned. “Me too.” 

They went back to the car, pulling out their bags of belongings, both putting on their holsters and putting the guns into it. Then they went back inside. Ronnie sat down on the floor, while Eggsy went over to the windows that were on the side, wanting to get a better idea of their surroundings. He just wanted to ask Ronnie again where they were, when everything suddenly seemed to happen really fast.

“TEDDY!” Ronnie screamed, and Eggsy turned around, to see someone walk through the door, holding a gun. Ronnie scrambled to his feet, pulling out his gun. Eggsy did the same. 

From where they were standing, the three of them formed a triangle, Ronnie and the other guy a lot closer to each other than they both were to Eggsy. 

“Drop you weapons. Both of you.” The person said calmly. 

Harry. Oh God, it was Harry. 

How? How did he find them so quickly? Why was he alone?

Ronnie and Harry stared each other down, both with their finger on the trigger. “Teddy.” Harry said, never looking away from Ronnie. “Drop your gun.” 

“Shoot him, Teddy!” Ronnie hissed. “He has no back-up!” 

Eggsy’s heart felt like it was about to burst from his chest. He felt nauseous, terrified, while looking at Harry over the barrel of his gun. How was he supposed to decide this? The only reason none of them was shooting yet, was because pulling the trigger was no guarantee for making it out alive. But soon all rational thought would be gone. It was a matter of seconds. Or maybe even less than that. 

Eggsy had to make his choice, and he had to make it now. 

Shoot or drop. 

Maybe shoot to wound? 

Dropping his gun would get him killed, he was sure of it. Ronnie would know, he would know immediately. That Eggsy was the snitch. He would kill him. 

Shoot or drop? 

His mum would have to bury her son, he would die at the same fucking age as his dad.

Shoot or drop? Shoot or die? 

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, and pulled the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry :(


	17. The aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So much angst.

For a moment Eggsy thought it was the recoil of the gun that made him stumble backwards, then the flaming pain in his chest made him realise he had been shot. He fell down, landing inelegantly on his arse, dropping his gun. The pain spread through his entire body, making him feel slightly numb. He looked down, searching for the blood that he knew was there, but didn’t see any. 

****

Percival loved explosions. He loved chaos and danger, and ill-advised rescue missions. He had been standing in one of the Kingsman-safehouses, dismantling the bomb they had taken from the Kray house. He had just finished and was now laughing at the poor design, when the earpiece he hadn’t bothered taking out started shouting at him with a Scottish accent. Merlin said he had to get his ass over to some warehouse, because Eggsy and Ronnie had escaped, and Harry was about to get in there alone. Percival had felt like a kid at Christmas when he ran to his car. 

His evening had just gotten even better.

When he arrived at the warehouse, with Merlin shouting at him that there was a Mexican standoff going on, he had barely been able to keep himself from squealing like a five year old girl.

This was fucking fantastic. 

This was better than sex. 

The door on the passenger side of Harry’s car was open, and he was just about to ask Merlin if he knew why, when the man started shouting that Percival had to “TAKE THE GODDAMN GUN ON THE PASSENGER SEAT! IT HAS RUBBER BULLETS! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME PERCY?! SHOOT KRAY BEFORE HE SHOOTS HARRY!” 

Well, Percival was going to be the judge of that, wasn’t he? He calmly took the gun, took out his earpiece and dropped it. Oh, he was gonna be in trouble later, but he quite liked being yelled at - it reminded him of primary school. He couldn’t concentrate with Merlin having a meltdown on the other end of the line. 

He approached the open door of the building carefully, pressing himself up against the wall next to it, only poking his head around the corner a bit. Mexican standoff indeed. 

Harry was closest to him, pointing his gun at Kray. Kray was pointing his at Harry. And Eggsy was pointing his… also at Harry. Damn. 

He didn’t want to shoot the kid. He really didn’t. But if he had to, he wouldn’t hesitate. He looked at Eggsy’s face, whose eyes were flickering between Kray and Harry. He looked miserable. 

Percival might not be entirely familiar with the feeling of doubt, but he did recognise it when he saw it. And he knew Eggsy was feeling it. If Percival shot Kray right now, it could look like Harry had done it, which would possibly unleash some protector instinct in Eggsy, and lead him to shoot Harry. Percival was also aware that the kid could not afford to blow his cover. 

Suddenly there was something in Eggsy’s eyes, something that told Percival the boy had made his choice, and he pulled his trigger at the same time Eggsy did. 

****

Tears were streaming down Eggsy’s face, from the physical pain and the pain over what he had just done. He hugged his knees to his chest, sobbing freely, not quite ready yet to look up and face what he had done. His sobs drowned out all the sounds but his own heartbeat. He wanted to stay here on the floor forever, never look up again, never speak again, never feel again. Just as he started to slip out of consciousness, one last thought crossed his mind. 

He wasn’t sure he had made the right choice.

****

Merlin looked at the monitor with tears in his eyes.

Eggsy was alive. But God, at what price?

 

 

****

“Teddy? Teddy!? Wake up!” 

Someone slapped him softly on the cheeks. Eggsy swatted the hand away. “Leave me alone,” he mumbled, but there was no fire in his words. Every muscle in his body hurt and he didn’t think he could stand even if he tried. The person lightly pushed his shoulder, moving Eggsy’s upper body away from his knees. Eggsy kept his eyes pressed shut, his face buried in his hands. The person grabbed his wrists and pulled his hands away. “Teddy… please? Are you alright?”

Eggsy took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

Harry Hart was kneeling in front of him, looking at him with a worried expression. Eggsy looked away, past Harry’s shoulder, at Ronnie. Someone was standing over him, handcuffing him. 

“Percival?” Eggsy asked. His head felt cloudy. 

Ronnie’s hand was bleeding a lot. Eggsy hoped he hadn’t hit a major artery. 

“Yes,” Harry said softly. “He shot you with a rubber bullet, hence the pain.” Harry sounded like he had a lump in his throat. He swallowed visibly. 

Neither one of them knew what to say. 

Eggsy avoided his gaze. He had shot the gun right out of Ronnie’s hand, and at the moment he did it, he hadn’t known the reason he made that decision. Listening to Harry’s voice made him realise why. ‘Cause while he wasn’t sure Harry was a good man, he was sure that Ronnie wasn’t. 

Wounding Harry wouldn’t keep Ronnie from killing Harry, but Harry wouldn’t have shot an unarmed man. 

Also, and the thought was both a shock and relief, he had shot Ronnie because it was what Eggsy Unwin would’ve done. 

 

****

 

Percival had to keep himself from whistling a cheerful tune as he approached Ronnie Kray to handcuff him. Eggsy had moved the tiniest bit, and in precisely that moment, Percival knew exactly what was about to happen. This is brilliant, he thought, as both of them pulled their trigger. 

Ronnie got hit in the hand – damn, that kid had good aim – and Eggsy was catapulted backwards by the force of Percival’s bullet. Merlin could’ve warned him that they were this big. Jesus. 

Harry turned around, towards him, a shocked expression on his face, that briefly turned to relief when he recognised Percival. They nodded at each other, and Percival ran over to Ronnie to fully disarm him, while Harry went to his pupil. 

Merlin was probably screaming into Percival’s earpiece right now, unaware it was lying outside. The thought made Percival smile. 

Today was a good day.

****

Harry put handcuffs on Eggsy, softly explaining that with any luck the fact that Eggsy had been hit would make it seem to Ronnie that Harry shot Ronnie while Percival shot Teddy. His cover would not be compromised. Harry gently lead Eggsy to the car, while Percival was bandaging Ronnie’s wrist. 

“He will survive this,” Harry assured him. 

Eggsy was shaking. He looked up at his mentor with tears streaming down his face. He looked horrible. “I am so sorry Harry,” he whispered. 

“What are you sorry for?” Harry asked, in disbelief. He crouched down next to Eggsy and hesitatingly put his hand on the younger man’s shoulder. 

“You told me not to fall in love and I-“ The ‘And I did it anyway’ hung in the air, unsaid. 

“Oh Eggsy,” Harry said softly. “We do not have control over matters of the heart.” And didn’t he know it.

Eggsy tried to control his breathing, keep from crying, so he was able to speak. There was so much he needed to say. 

The silence was longer than it had ever been, and when Eggsy finally spoke, his voice sounded strangely strangled “I know he deserves to be locked up for the things he did. Forever. I know he deserves it, I really do. But I don’t want him to go to prison.” 

Harry didn’t say anything, waiting for the question he knew was coming. He carefully pulled Eggsy closer, heard him sniffle softly next to his ear. Eggsy took a deep, shaky breath and continued. “If I agree that he deserves to be locked up… then why does it hurt so damn much?” 

Harry put his arm around him and held him tight. He whispered his answer, his lips to Eggsy’s ear, the answer meant for Eggsy and no one else. “It hurts because it matters,” he said softly. 

In his arms, Eggsy began to sob. 

 

****

Harry gave Eggsy an extra earpiece and said out loud that Merlin could connect himself to Eggsy if he wanted. Luckily the only thing Merlin asked, into both their ears, was if Eggsy was okay. After that, he stayed silent. 

They drove in silence, almost all the way back to Kingsman, when suddenly, Eggsy began to talk again. “Is it weird that I fell in love, even though I was afraid of him? Even though I knew I shouldn’t, even though I knew what he was capable of?” His voice sounded hoarse and unsure, like he was ashamed of asking, or afraid of the answer.

Harry reached out, lightly squeezing Eggsy’s knee for a moment. “It is not as crazy as it seems,” he said, and there was a sincerity in his voice that made Eggsy look up at his mentor. Harry smiled reassuringly at him, but there was sadness in it too. “Sometimes we fall in love, even though we know it cannot last, or will never be, for whatever reason. Sometimes even if we do not WANT it to last. But that does not mean it is not real. It does not mean your feelings aren’t valid.” 

He wasn’t sure if Harry would be willing to go into detail, but he had sounded so sincere when he said it…. Eggsy felt like Harry was the only person who understood, and he wanted to talk about this. 

Needed to talk about this. 

“Has that ever happened to you?” he asked softly, wary of going too far. “Falling in love when you didn’t want to?” 

Harry smiled. “Oh, yes. I fell in love with my best friend.” 

“I thought Merlin was your best friend.” Eggsy said surprised.

“He was and he is,” Harry said simply.

Eggsy’s eyes widened. “Does he know?” 

Harry shrugged. “Well, he does now.” There was a moment of silence. 

Then Merlin cleared his throat. “And this doesn’t change anything, Harry.” It was the first time Eggsy had heard Merlin call Harry by his given name while on mission. 

For some reason it was a relief to know that Harry had not just been talking about Eggsy, he had also talking about himself. 

It made Eggsy feel less alone. 

****

Eggsy had been contemplating their conversation in silence, chewing on his lip. “Merlin?” he giggled all of a sudden. “Really? Did he have hair back then?” 

Before Harry could answer, Merlin’s voice was back in their ears. “If you dare, Galahad, this WILL change our relationship.” 

Harry chuckled. “Don’t worry Merlin. As you know I’m good with secrets.” 

Merlin did not respond to that, not in Eggsy’s ear at least. From the way Harry stared at nothing in particular, with a concentrated look on his face, it was obvious Merlin was still talking to him. 

“I know,” Harry said with a smile. “Thank you, Merlin.”

Eggsy wondered what Merlin had said, but he didn’t ask. Some things really were meant to be private.

****

Harry insisted on taking Eggsy to the hospital wing, since being hit in the chest - even with rubber bullets - could lead to heart rhythm disorder. Eggsy had complied wordlessly. Talking to Harry had made him feel better, like it always seemed to do.

Merlin told them that someone would be waiting for them to bring them to Eggsy’s room, and sure enough there was a woman who Eggsy had never seen before waiting for them when they walked into the estate. She introduced herself as Bedivere, and lead them through a door, revealing a corridor with multiple doors to either side. It smelled the way hospitals always did, even looked exactly like it. 

Eggsy laid down on the bed like he was told, and Harry stepped out of the room to give him some privacy. For some reason Eggsy would’ve preferred him to stay. 

“Push your shirt up a bit, please.” Bedivere said. 

Merlin mumbled into his ear “Do it, or she will, and her hands are always freezing.” 

Eggsy quickly pushed his shirt up to his chin, revealing a large, purple-greenish bruise on his sternum. He should congratulate Percival on being an excellent marksman. 

She hooked him up to the heart monitor, and Eggsy flinched when she put a sticker on his chest. Merlin wasn’t kidding.

Suddenly he realised how tired he was, and he took the earpiece out. The monitor next to him made low humming noises, and it relaxed him. He fell asleep faster than he ever had before.

****

When he woke up, all the relief he had felt over getting out of there without someone dying had faded away. Something was nagging him, some realisation that lingered at the edge of his mind, waiting for the right time to come in. It was only when Harry walked in a few minutes later, that it finally dawned on Eggsy. He turned to Harry sharply, ignoring the pain that was still spreading from his sternum to the rest of his body. “You tracked me.” His voice was barely a whisper. 

Harry stopped a few feet from the bed and looked at Eggsy, but didn’t say anything. 

It had to be. Even if Merlin was watching the feed the entire time, which would make no fucking sense since the glasses were in the police station, and even if he then had recognised the streets immediately, Harry still was there way too fast. Eggsy had only switched on his glasses when the shock of being broken out had faded and they had been on the road for quite some time. Yet somehow, Harry had arrived minutes after them. How? The answer to that question hit him like a slap in the face. “The glasses.” 

Harry at least had the decency to look guilty. He nodded.

“You fucking tracked me. All this time?” He looked away. He couldn’t face Harry right now. They didn’t fucking trust him. Had never trusted him. He wouldn’t have had to shoot Ronnie if it weren’t for Harry. He wouldn’t have been shot himself. He wouldn’t have had to make the worst fucking decision of his entire life if it hadn’t been for Harry fucking Hart. 

Another thing started to build op in his mind, the same feelings he had had before but had never voiced openly. Maybe he had never had enough anger in him to bring it up. Now he had. The reason Eggsy was even here at Kingsman was only because of Harry Hart’s fucking guilt over Lee. “You chose my dad as – what- a fucking experiment? And it failed. And it make you feel fucking guilty! And since you are sooo fucking noble, you chose me! Not because you believed in me, but because of guilt! And you had me fucking wired against my fucking will, ignoring my consent, because you don’t fucking trust me! Because you thought I would switch sides! You think just because I’m poor I can easily be bought!” 

“Eggsy,” Harry tried, but Eggsy interrupted.

“NO! You fucking listen to me! Did you even fucking care my father died? That my mum was left with nothing? Why didn’t you keep an eye on her? Why did you not get rid of Dean?” He was shaking, rage flowing through him, making him clench his fists.

“Eggsy!” Harry sounded angry and sad at the same time. Disappointed. “Your mum is a strong woman. We kept an eye on her, at first. But she found out. One day, you were barely six years old, she stormed out of the house, straight at the Kingsman who had been checking in on them in secret. She told him she knew who he was, and if she ever saw him again, she would make sure the world would know. She said she didn’t need anyone looking out for her. And you know what? She was right. She did a good job raising you without our help, without anyone’s help. But the reason you grew up under the circumstances you did, is because your mum chose it, as was her right to do. We didn’t just forget about her and her family the moment we gave her the medal. Please believe me, Eggsy.” 

“But why use the date of his death as the number? Why the constant reminder?” It had always seemed so odd to Eggsy, doubly so when he found out that Harry had been there when his father died.

“Because of that. Because you would never forget the number. Because if one day you would find yourself in trouble, it had to be a number you would know, even if you would have lost the medal, or not looked at it in years. As horrible as it may sound, it was easy to remember. And it was for Lee. It was all for Lee. It is tradition to honour our fallen by remembering them with a toast, and this tradition has been extended to the way we try to console the ones who are left behind. With a personalised favour.” 

It sounded fair enough, but Eggsy wasn’t done yet. “If you hadn’t shown up, I wouldn’t have had to shoot Ronnie.” He would never get over that. Ever. And it wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t been wired. 

“Maybe.” Harry said. “And maybe you would have needed to. Eggsy.” There was an urgency in his voice that made Eggsy look up. “Frances is dead. Suicide.” There was a silent question in these words. 

“I know,” Eggsy admitted. 

“Why didn’t you tell us?” 

Eggsy got even more angry. The last forty-eight hours had been absolute hell, and now Harry was being a dick? “It had nothing to do with the fucking mission! And it wasn’t suicide!” 

“You think it isn’t, or you know it isn’t? 

“I KNOW it isn’t! Ronnie fucking killed her, alright? But I wasn’t there when he did it, was I? What good would telling you do? You would’ve pulled me off the mission, am I right?! They wouldn’t have been fucking arrested if I had told you!” He was panting, his chest heaving painfully. 

“He told you?” 

Eggsy nodded distractedly, and bit out “Yes! He fucking broke down crying, saying that Frances was dead and I tried to comfort him yeah, not even thinking about the fucking mission because he just lost his fucking sister-in-law and I thought that some rival gang-member must’ve killed ‘er, so I was fucking shocked when he turned out to be the one who fucking did it!” Eggsy was shaking. His vision was blurry and he angrily wiped away those tears that he didn’t know where there from anger or sadness or something else entirely. He buried his face in his hands.

Harry’s voice was calm as ever. “Why didn’t you tell ME?” he asked, “When we were in the car?” He kept his voice neutral, but there was something in his voice, something searching, like he genuinely did not understand it. 

“It was a secret,” Eggsy mumbled. 

“Yes, from Reginald. Not from us.” 

Eggsy felt irritated. Was Harry seriously attacking him for this? After Kingsman had put two twenty-four year olds in front of a fucking train to test their loyalty, causing one of them to have a heart attack and almost bloody die?

“Reggie fucking knows. He told me that if I told the cops I’d be dead.” He still wondered if Reggie really cared Frances was dead.

“And that is my point, Eggsy. Nobody expected that Ronnie or Reggie would ever hurt Frances, but they killed her. And no matter what Ronnie might feel for you, he might have done the same with you. Those batteries you found? Merlin tested them. Apparently, they lead to suicidal tendencies. It is too early to say if they can also cause violence.” 

“You mean Ronnie might not have been in control when he killed Frances?” He sounded too hopeful, and he knew it.

“I mean that he knew what the batteries do, and put one in her radio. She killed herself, but it was because of him. And it is unlikely he had been exposed to them before, so him killing Frances was HIM doing it. It was in his character.” 

“I want you to leave,” Eggsy said, and his voice sounded cold, defensive, angry. He meant it. He closed his eyes, and only opened them when he heard Harry’s footsteps leave, and the door close behind him.

Eggsy wished he hadn’t told Harry that he had fallen in love with Ronnie. He felt judged for it. How could someone love someone who had killed, who was violent, who could change from the sweetest man in the world to the most terrifying one in the blink of an eye? He didn’t know the answers to any of these questions, but he did know this: no matter what he would do in the rest of his life, falling in love with Ronnie Kray would always be the bravest thing he had ever done. 

****

Apparently the bullet had done some damage, because Bedivere insisted he had to stay for at least two days. Eggsy accepted his fate with a groan, and spent the next day eating, sleeping and crying. He didn’t want to talk to anyone, and told Bedivere so, hoping she would keep visitors out. She said she would do her best, but also added it was not up to her. Harry was his mentor, and if he needed to speak to him, that wasn’t Bedivere’s call. 

Either she kept her promise, or Harry had realised how deeply Eggsy had meant it, but he didn’t return. Nobody came to his room almost the entire day. Eggsy was just lying there, staring at the ceiling, when there was a soft knock on the door. 

“Eggsy?” Merlin was standing in the doorway, hesitant to come in. 

Eggsy looked away, unable to face Merlin right now. He had betrayed him. Fucking betrayed him. He closed his eyes, hoping Merlin would just leave. He heard footsteps approach the bed, and a creaking noise that indicated Merlin had sat down on one of the plastic chairs next to the bed. 

“Eggsy,” Merlin said again. “You have every right to be angry. You really do. What we did was not honourable, it was not right. And yet I stand by it. It was the only thing we could do to keep you safe. To not send you in without any kind of safety net. But even though I still think we had to do it, I do apologize. I’m sorry Eggsy, I really am.” 

Eggsy did not react to this. He stubbornly kept his eyes closed, hoping that Merlin had said what he wanted to say and would finally go. 

“However, I am not just here to apologise.” 

Eggsy heard the sound of a folder being opened. 

“You told Galahad you didn’t want Ronnie to go to prison.” There was no judgement in Merlin’s voice, not really, but it made Eggsy clench his fists with irritation. He hadn’t meant that Ronnie did not deserve to be locked up – Eggsy of all people knew perfectly well what he had done. He had meant that in prison, Ronnie’s life could take two turns. Either, he would be the fucking king. Or… he didn’t want to think about it, but he knew what rumours about one’s sexuality could do to a person in prison, and with Ronnie they weren’t really rumours anymore. 

“Luckily, Kingsman keeps a dirt-log about people in power, which allows us to occasionally pull some strings. It is my expectation that both the judge, and the person who will have to reassess Mr Kray’s mental state, will both find it in their best interest to have him diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, and let him spend the rest of his days in a mental institution. A hospital, Eggsy. He will be safe there.” 

Eggsy’s eyes were stinging. He cleared his throat, cleared it again, and tried to push back the tears that were welling up. It didn’t work. When he finally opened his eyes and looked at Merlin, his vision was blurry and the tears started rolling down. He wiped them away with the back of his hand. 

“Thank you,” he said. His voice sounded hoarse. 

“Don’t thank me. Thank Galahad. He is the one that found out that the judge has had relationships with underage girls, and the court’s mental health expert steals meds from the very hospital he works for.” 

“When did he….?” Eggsy asked. 

Merlin stood up. “He handed me the report this morning.” He leaned over and squeezed Eggsy’s hand. “He will be alright. You will be alright.” He gave him a reassuring nod and walked out. As he closed the door behind him, Eggsy did not hold back his tears anymore. 

He grabbed the pillow from behind his head, hugged it to his chest, and sobbed into the soft fabric, while in his head hearing the words Harry had said again and again: 

“It hurts because it matters”

“It hurts because it matters”

“It hurts because it matters”

After a while, Harry’s words were replaced by Merlin’s, but it was still Harry’s voice in his head saying the same sentence over and over. 

“You will be alright”

“You will be alright”

“You will be alright”

He repeated it until he started to believe it. 

****

There was a knock on the door. 

Eggsy said nothing. He wouldn’t really mind Merlin coming in, but couldn’t be sure who it was, so he pretended to be sleeping and hoped that the person would just leave. The door opened. Fuck. Footsteps approached the bed. 

Not Merlin. 

"Eggsy,” Harry said, “I know you are not asleep. If you want me to come back another time, just say so. If you do not want me to come back at all, I will just leave this here with you and respect your decision.” 

Eggsy snorted at that, but kept from making a snide comment about it Harry ignoring his consent anyway. He had made his point sufficiently clear. He opened his eyes, not really in the mood to talk to his mentor, but curious as to what the man had for him. 

“May I sit down?” Harry asked. 

Eggsy made a whatever-I-don’t-care gesture, looking at the big, yellow envelope in Harry’s hand. It was addressed to Erec. 

Harry sat down and handed over the envelope. 

“What is it?” Eggsy asked. 

“Pictures,” Harry said. “You don’t have to look at them right now. In fact, if you don’t want to, you never have to look at them. Merlin and I just believed that it was your right to have the choice.” 

Eggsy looked at him questioningly. What pictures? 

“I haven’t looked at them,” Harry said, sounding a bit embarrassed for some reason. “I only…. Borrowed… the negatives. Merlin had them developed. He has seen them. Or at least some of them. Just to make sure they were what we believed them to be.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, we wanted you to have them, and it is your choice what you do with them. You don’t have to give them back.” 

Eggsy started opening the envelope, and Harry stood up. “I will check in on you later, alright?” He was at the door with a few big steps. 

Eggsy pulled the stack of pictures out, and his breath caught in his throat. “Harry…” he said. His voice broke. 

Harry stopped in his tracks, his hand already on the doorknob. Hesitatingly, he turned around. “Yes, Eggsy?” he asked softly. 

“Stay…” Eggsy whispered. “Please.” For a moment, Harry just stood there, an unsure look on his face. Then he nodded and sat down again. 

Eggsy looked at the picture in his hand, a picture he hadn’t been aware had been taken. 

“Frances?” he asked. 

Harry’s nod made him press his eyes closed to fight back the tears. He carefully placed the stack of photo’s in his lap and rubbed his eyes. Twenty-four pictures, all taken by Frances Shea. “Where did you…?” he cleared his throat. 

Harry put his hand on Eggsy’s arm for a moment. “The police station.” He sounded tired. “They were logged into evidence. The negatives I mean. They really need to work on their security system. Everyone can just walk in there and steal whatever they want.” He did his best to sound casual, but there was something in his voice. Something akin to sadness. 

Eggsy looked at the first picture again. He was standing in the hall of Ronnie’s house, in his Savile Row suit, looking as proud as could be. He could tell by where his gaze was pointed that he was looking at himself in the mirror, totally absorbed in the way the suit made him look, made him feel. Ronnie was standing a few feet away, at the edge of the picture, looking on approvingly. The next picture was taken a few seconds later. Him and Ronnie were standing next to each other, Eggsy was smiling widely, Ronnie didn’t bother looking happy. But still. It was the one they posed for. The one that Frances had promised him he would get. He flipped through the rest of the pictures. 

Many were of Reggie. Reggie with colleagues, with Ronnie, with Frances. Some were of Frances alone, wearing beautiful dresses, smiling sweetly, probably taken by Reggie. A picture of a house, with a woman he recognised as their mum on the doorstep. Almost the same picture again, but now Ronnie and Reggie were standing on either side of her, their arms around her. She looked so proud of them. He arrived at the last picture, and couldn’t hold back his tears anymore. 

Him and Ronnie, on the couch in Ronnie’s house, looking at each other with utter adoration. They were leaning in to each other, as if they had just shared the funniest joke in the world. He had never seen that look on his own face before: grinning like a fool, looking at Ronnie as if he was the only person in the entire world. He knew when the picture was taken. It was the night they had been making jokes about homosexuality no longer being a crime. The night that would turn out to be the last time he would see Frances.

He carefully placed the pictures back into the envelope. Harry was looking at him with concern. 

Eggsy reached out to him, and Harry moved closer, allowing Eggsy to put his hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Thank you,” he whispered. The pictures meant the world to him. Knowing Harry would break into a police station to retrieve something he thought might be of importance to him meant the world to him. Maybe one day he would have the words to express that to Harry. Right now, he could only hold on to him for as good as his position allowed, and whisper it again and again. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gaaaahh, that was angsty. I have this headcanon that Percival is this rebellious no-fucks-given kind of guy, who just really likes to blow shit up and do all kinds of dangerous shit. I hope you all survive the utter angstness of this chapter. Again, I am so sorry.


	18. The last test

Ronnie looked up when Harry walked into the interrogation room. “Not a tailor, then,” he said emotionless. He was handcuffed, and the cuffs were attached to the metal table he was sitting at, in the middle of the brightly lit room. 

Harry could tell it made him feel restless, sitting still for so long. Not knowing what was going to happen. Ronnie Kray wasn’t used to this, to not being in control. “No.” Harry confirmed, and sat down opposite Ronnie. He opened a folder full of statements, evidence and reports. “I’m not a tailor. I am, however, one of the men who fought you during your arrest, and the one who is responsible for that bullet hole in your arm.” It wasn’t the truth, but it was what he had to say. Ronnie would know Harry hadn’t shot Teddy, because his gun had been aimed at Ronnie the entire time. 

“Where is Teddy?” Ronnie asked. “Is he okay?” 

He sounded calm, but angry. There was genuine concern in his voice as well, which surprised Harry, although it really shouldn’t. Ronnie was human after all. A dangerous, self-serving criminal, but human nonetheless. 

“Mister Smith was taken to a hospital. He will survive his injuries.” 

“Have you spoken to him?” Ronnie asked. And now there was a different kind of concern, the suspicious kind, the kind that told Harry that Kray was afraid that this time, he might not walk out of this. He wanted to know if Teddy had snitched.

Harry could use this. He was good at this. “I have spoken to Smith. He is, as of now, refusing to make a deal for his own freedom.” Ronnie looked a bit relieved. Harry had him exactly where he wanted him. “But his testimony isn’t really necessary, with all the evidence he has given us.” 

Ronnie’s eyes were cold when he looked at Harry. Both men knew what he would do if he weren’t cuffed. “The suit.” 

It wasn’t a question, but Harry treated it as such. “Yes. We wired his suit. We have audio of you telling him to kill Matthew Parston. A person, incidentally, who I have also questioned. When he finally regained consciousness.” He had to keep Ronnie from starting to suspect that Eggsy was a double agent, while also collecting evidence on the Richardsons. They wanted all of them off the streets, not just the Krays. Ronnie needed something to bargain for. Maybe Teddy would be that thing. “Parston had lots of interesting things to say about you, mister Kray.” 

Ronnie raised an eyebrow. 

“It was due to him that we found Jimmy Harvers.” 

Ronnie had obviously not expected to hear this. 

“Harvers was killed with the same knife that was used to kill Jack McVitie. Which we know was also done by either you, your brother, or mister Smith.” 

“What makes you think that?” Ronnie asked, sounding rather too cocky for a man in his position. 

“Because we have audio of Reginald saying that he wanted Jack McVitie dead. A conversation in which he conveniently confirmed it was you who killed George Cornell. Not that we needed proof, with all the eyewitnesses.” 

Ronnie narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Teddy wasn’t wearing his suit then.” 

Harry had hoped he would catch on to that. It was always nice to interrogate someone who was smart. “Yes,” he said with a smirk. “Luckily we found someone willing to put some microphones in your home.” 

Ronnie’s eyes were full of anger now, full of the insanity that he was so known for. “Who?” he hissed. 

Harry gave him his biggest grin. “I’m afraid I’m not allowed to tell you that. Well, like I said, mister Smith – Teddy, you call him – has refused to make a deal for himself. He is, however, willing to make a deal for you.”

Ronnie looked confused. The mark of a man without empathy. Not understanding why someone would do something like that for someone else. “What kind of deal?” he asked suspiciously. 

Harry smirked. This might actually work. 

 

****

 

When Eggsy woke up, Harry was sitting on a plastic chair next to his bed, reading the newspaper. Eggsy watched him for a while, the little frown on Harry’s face as he turned the page, the way his long fingers held the paper up, the strand of hair that fell over his forehead. “Good morning,” he said. 

Harry looked up. “Good afternoon,” he said with a smile. “Feeling better?” 

Eggsy yawned and nodded. He had slept incredibly much in the past two days. “I’m really looking forward to going home, to be honest,” he said. It was quite boring, just lying here, staring at the monitor. 

Harry got up. “In that case, I have good news for you. Bedivere says you can go. I’ll drive you home later, but there is something we need to do first.” 

Eggsy pulled up his shirt and dramatically ripped the stickers off his chest. “Aaah fuck! Shouldn’t have done that,” he laughed, rubbing his chest. He was out of bed within a second, and took the envelope with pictures from under his pillow. He was glad he would finally see his mum and sister again, but also nervous. “What am I gonna tell me mum?” he asked. 

Harry straightened his tie. “We can decide on that later.” It looked like he was barely containing a grin. 

Why? 

There was obviously something Harry wasn’t telling him. 

Eggsy squinted at him suspiciously. Harry seemed…. excited? “What’s going on?” he asked. 

Harry smiled innocently. “What? Nothing. Just come with me.” He walked to the door, but turned around just before he opened it. “Oh, Eggsy? Between you and me, small calibre rubber bullets do not hurt.” He winked. 

What?

“What is that supposed to-“ 

Harry put his finger on his own lips. “Ssshh. I didn’t say anything. Do you trust me?” 

Eggsy sighed. “Yeah.” He realised he meant it. A hundred percent. He followed Harry out of the room.

****

They went to Harry’s office for some reason. Harry didn’t say anything on the way there, despite Eggsy’s whispered questions. What the fuck was going on? Harry just smiled at him and shrugged, but wouldn’t answer. When he opened the door to his office, Eggsy was attacked by a big ball of fur. 

“J.B.! Oooh my GOD!” Eggsy crouched down to pet the pug, who was wheezing, and shaking his little stubby tail so hard his entire backside moved from left to right. Eggsy looked up at Harry accusingly “He got FAT Harry! You bloody promised!” But he was laughing, picking the dog up with an exaggerated groan. “I can barely hold you anymore J.B. Did uncle Harry feed you human food? Some bacon? Steak? Caviar? Belgian chocolate mousse?” J.B. made an agreeing sound. Eggsy laughed, looking at Harry who looked at them with an endeared expression.

Then Harry suddenly got serious. “Arthur will be here in a moment,” he said. He looked out the door, turned to Eggsy, and said softly “Remember what I told you.”

Oh God. Why was Arthur coming here? He wanted to ask again what was going on, but then Arthur came in. 

“Good morning Gary, I’m glad you’re feeling better.” He didn’t sound like he cared at all. “Good morning, Galahad.” 

“Good morning Arthur.” Harry gave Eggsy a pointed look, so he mumbled a greeting as well. 

“Let’s get to business, shall we?” Arthur said. 

Harry nodded. 

Arthur turned to Eggsy. “Set the dog down, please.” 

What the…. Eggsy gave Harry a questioning look, but did as he was told. When he straightened, Harry was holding a gun out. 

“Take this, Eggsy.” 

Eggsy took it, wondering what the hell all of this was. 

“Shoot the dog.” Harry said flatly. 

Eggsy’s heart started racing. “What?!” 

“Shoot the dog.” Harry repeated, and there was something in his eyes. He wasn’t kidding. 

Eggsy looked down at J.B., who was looking up at him happily. He couldn’t fucking shoot his dog! Why the fuck would he? 

Arthur was frowning at him, somehow looking as if he had better things to do than this, as if he had expected this. And maybe he had. But Harry knew him, he should have known as well that Eggsy couldn’t do this. And even though he trusted Har-  
Ooooh. Suddenly he realised what Harry had meant what he said that small calibre rubber bullets did not hurt. Eggsy calmly aimed at J.B.’s side, figuring that even if it would hurt, it would hurt the least there. He pulled the trigger.

J.B. yelped, looked at the small bullet suspiciously, sniffed it, and then settled down again. He wasn’t hurt at all, only momentarily frightened. But J.B. was frightened of butterflies, so it was okay. Eggsy looked at Harry, who smirked at him proudly, and at Arthur, who was pressing his lips together in a straight line. 

Harry took a step forward and motioned for Eggsy to hand the gun over, which he did. Then Harry shook Eggsy’s hand with a wide smile and said “Welcome to Kingsman”. 

****

In the car, Eggsy cleared his throat. He had to say this, and say it now, or it would become this big unspoken thing and it would get more and more difficult to get it out. “I just wanted to tell you that I understand now. I’ve had long to think about it, what you and Merlin did. And I understand. And I agree with you that I don’t know what might’ve happened with Ronnie if you hadn’t shown up. I like to think that I knew him, and that he would never… but I don’t know that. So thank you. For everything. For getting me out of the police station that day, and offering me the chance to become Kingsman, and for being there when I called you about the batteries, and for not killing Ronnie when you arrested us, and for not shooting him when you had the chance in that warehouse and for getting me out and for being really fucking reasonable about all the shit I’ve pulled, and for warning me about the bullets, cause I never would have…” He realised he was rambling, and he had said what he needed to say, so he shut his mouth. 

Harry chuckled. “You’re welcome, Eggsy. And I’m really proud of you.” 

Eggsy didn’t know how to respond to that, but it made him smile. He petted J.B., who was snoozing in his lap. 

“So, do I get to tell my mum that I’m a Kingsman?” he asked. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to keep this a secret. He didn’t know if he wanted to. 

“I think that with the history your family has with Kingsman, it would both be unfair and useless to try to hide it.” Harry said. “Although it is your decision.” 

Eggsy nodded. “I think I’ll tell her.” Even though she would worry about him, he knew it would also make her proud. And he didn’t want to keep secrets from her. Not ever.  
There was something else he would have to tell her, maybe not today, but someday. That he would never take a girl home for her to meet.  
Harry had once said that a gentleman should only be in the papers three times. Birth, marriage, death. Well, Eggsy would only make it in there twice. He would never get married. Couldn’t. At least not to someone he loved. He looked at the man at his side, realising that neither would Harry. “Are you going in with me?” he asked, before he could stop himself. Harry looked a bit uncomfortable and kept his eyes on the road, so Eggsy started backtracking immediately “Sorry, I was just thinking about what you had said that day, when I left, that you would talk to her, but obviously, that wasn’t real, sorry, forget what I said.” 

In the middle of this rambling, Harry had started smiling. He looked at Eggsy briefly, an amused look on his face. “If you want me to talk to her, I will. But maybe another time, when you are not just returning after having been gone for a month.” He was right, of course. Harry was always right, and with most people that would annoy Eggsy, but with Harry it was reassuring. He trusted him, he knew he was making the right choice. “Yeah,” he said. “I might have some explaining to do.” 

And some apologies as well. 

****

He was nervous, waiting for the door to open. He recognized his mum’s footsteps and heaved a sigh of relief. At least he wouldn’t have to face Dean immediately. 

She opened the door and the apprehensive look on her face turned to surprised joy the moment she saw him. “Eggsy!” she stammered, like she couldn’t quite believe he was here, and threw her arms around him and held him tight. 

He embraced her as well, felt her shaky breath against his neck. 

She pulled back and cupped his face in her hands. “Where have you been?” She sounded worried, not judgemental at all. 

He took a step forward, into the house, and closed the door behind him. “Let’s sit down, yeah?” he asked. He dreaded the conversation they were about to have. 

“Okay,” she said, sounding worried, but then there were tiny footsteps running towards them, and Daisy came around the corner of the living room, squealing with delight when she saw Eggsy, screamed “EGGY!” and then squealed again when she set her sights on J.B. “PUPPY!”. Ignoring Eggsy completely, she started petting the dog, who looked slightly scared, but enjoyed the attention nonetheless. “Come here, Daisy.” Eggsy said, and picked his sister up. He wanted to hug her, see how much she’d grown, never leave her again. 

She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight “Eggy is home.” she said seriously, turning her head to look at their mum, as if she hadn’t noticed. Then Daisy looked down at J.B. again. “Puppy,” she said with the same serious tone. “Bulldog.” 

Eggsy laughed. “Yes, Daisy. A very small bulldog.” He looked at his mum, at her happiness to have him home, at the adoring way Daisy looked at J.B. and decided that no matter how the conversation would go, he would be okay. 

****

It had been a week since Eggsy had been released from the hospital, during which he had caught up on the training he had missed. During that time he had also carefully paid attention to the updates that were frequently given to the various agents on the progress of the evidence collection. He knew that Merlin had written some kind of connection-chart that indicated which person had to rat out which person to get an optimal result, meaning, the longest sentence for everyone, including the Richardson gang. He knew Ronnie and Reggie were going away for life, and while he didn’t really care for Reggie, it made him sad to know Ronnie would never be a free man again. He knew Ronnie deserved it, he really did, but like he had told Harry, it still hurt. Eggsy had felt guilty and sad when he heard that Ronnie had given them some things about the Richardsons, which per their deal got ‘Teddy’ out of his sentence, but slightly better when he heard it was mainly because he didn’t want the Richardsons to rule London. Ronnie had also snitched on Valentine, which would ensure his own safety as this meant he wouldn’t go to prison. And boy, did he have some things to tell about the man. The batteries the Krays had received from Valentine were only a fraction of the weaponry Valentine had been developing. That was the reason why almost every Kingsman agent was right now sitting in the conference room, ready to get briefed by Merlin. 

Merlin looked at the room full of agents. “I have good and bad news.” He announced. “We have gotten testimonies from Ronnie and Reggie Kray that incriminate the Richardsons and associates. We then brought them in, and got more evidence on the Krays and associates from the Richardsons. Long story short, everybody of note is going to jail. That was the good news.” He sighed before continuing. “I have tested whether there is anything dangerous about the batteries when not in use, and that seems not to be the case. However, we know what happens when they are used. And Valentine’s company has just today announced they will start giving away free batteries next month. We cannot let that happen. We are sending as many agents as possible in, to hopefully arrest Valentine and his bodyguard, Gazelle. After that, we can go about destroying the batteries. If this somehow doesn’t work out, the threat is big enough that it justifies us blowing the whole thing up.” Suddenly the door was kicked open, making Merlin jump and almost every agent in the room draw their gun. 

Percival stood in the doorway, panting with excitement. “CAN I DO IT MERLIN PLEAASSSEEEEE????” He looked at Merlin with big Puppydogeyes. 

Everyone put away their weapon, some with a sigh, others genuinely startled. Eggsy thought he heard someone mumble “every bloody time”. 

“Has that happened before?” he asked Harry, who was sitting next to him, and who had been one of the only ones NOT to pull his gun. 

Harry rolled his eyes and whispered “Rumour has it that one only has to say the words ‘explosion’ or some variation of ‘to blow up’ out loud, for Percival to appear.” 

“I believe them,” Eggsy chuckled. 

“If that is necessary, Percival, and please realise that I said “if” and “necessary”, you can do it.” Merlin said, looking at Percival in the way a schoolteacher might look at a toddler who had used a swearword; like he was trying to look strict, but couldn’t hide his amusement. 

Percival nodded, and it looked like he got a little misty-eyed. “Thank you Merlin,” and yes, he definitely sniffled a bit. He turned around and left, carefully closing the door behind him. 

“Was he missing part of his eyebrows?” Roxy asked. 

Merlin cleared his throat. “Percival was also doing some… research…. concerning the batteries.” Which answered Roxy’s question and at the same time made it perfectly clear what kind of research. “Now, since the Krays and Richardsons combined gave us all the addresses they knew belonged to Valentine, we have been staking these buildings out. We discovered that professor Arnold is still alive.” This statement led to a bit of shocked commotion. Merlin looked sad but determined. “As you all know, Lancelot died trying to save this man, and now it turns out he is still alive. We brought him in and Galahad… ‘pressured’ him into talking. Apparently our kind professor was the main researcher who helped Valentine with the batteries, among other devices that are designed to kill as many people as possible. Or as they call it, for ‘population control’. We need these devices gone. All of them." He turned to Eggsy and Roxy, who were sitting side by side. “Lancelot and Erec, welcome to your first real group-mission. You will leave today.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a lot happens in this chapter, I'm sorry about that. I wanted the mission to happen in this chapter as well, but it just got too long. Next chapter (the last one!) wll have the mission, and perhaps more... ^^


	19. Valentine's day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter!!!

Everybody was tense when they got on the plane. Percival in particular seemed close to tears the entire time. 

Harry saw Eggsy give Percival a worried look and just laughed, softly explaining to Eggsy that Percival tended to get emotional over making stuff explode, even more so when he actually had Merlin’s permission to do it. Mentioning ‘The Big Romanian Boom’ still brought tears to his eyes. 

Roxy had looked a bit uneasy when the plane started to take off, but now she seemed relaxed.

“Looks like the heights-training helped,” Eggsy said grinning. 

Roxy rolled her eyes at him. 

Merlin walked in to where they were all sitting from the cockpit. Apparently just being a tech-wizard wasn’t enough, he was also a freaking pilot. Of course he was. “Listen up, agents. While we are pretty sure the batteries and such are kept in this house, we do not have a lay-out of the house. I want everyone to proceed with caution. You will be going in in teams of two. The teams are Bors and Gawain, Gareth and Kay, Ector and Tristan, Erec and Galahad, and Percival and Lancelot.” 

By the way the combination ‘Percival and Lancelot’ rolled off his tongue the easiest, Eggsy knew he had said this countless times before. 

Percival gave a tight nod when he heard his name, and – and Eggsy wasn’t sure about this - seemed to flinch a bit when Merlin said Lancelot. It must be hard to lose a friend, especially to something that was supposed to be a rescue mission of an innocent, and turned out to be a failed attempt to rescue someone who would gleefully murder countless people for what he perceived as the greater good. 

Merlin showed them some outside shots of the house, it was all he could give them. Then he showed them a picture of Gazelle, a still from the video Eggsy had made that showed her legs. 

Roxy, who had seen them before, seemed just as impressed as he first time, while Percival turned a bit pale and averted his eyes. With a shock, Eggsy realised that the old Lancelot had been cut in half; he must have been murdered by Gazelle. He felt like an idiot for not realising it before. 

Merlin returned to the pictures of the house. “As you can see there is a fence surrounding the house. We have discovered that without a key, it can only be opened from the inside. Erec, you’ll be climbing the fence to let us in, Galahad, Percival and Lancelot will have your back up close, while Gareth and Kay will be on stand-by with sniper rifles. I hope the guards will not notice, so we won’t have to start shooting immediately. In an ideal situation we get to the house unnoticed, but we’ll see how it goes.” It was clear that Merlin didn’t like this at all, he wasn’t a big fan of improvisation. He turned to Eggsy. “From the inside it only requires a code, which we obviously do not have, this is why you will be wearing these glasses,” he pulled a pair out of his inner pocket and gave them to Eggsy “which have heat sensors. We will have to wait until someone has just left, then you can see which numbers have been touched, since they will show up red on your glasses. There are still multiple combinations of course…” he sighed and rubbed his eyes, “so let’s hope Valentine is so arrogant about his own safety that he will have gone for an easy code, like his date of birth.” 

Eggsy hoped Merlin was right. He knew this tended to be true on a smaller scale, like Jimmy Harvers who had a window open, but wasn’t sure if a billionaire with endless resources would be cutting any corners when it came to his own safety. 

Merlin insisted all agents would try to get some sleep. They would land in America in a few hours, and it was important they were well rested.

****

At the private airstrip, there were cars waiting without drivers. It wasn’t far to Valentine’s house, only a one hour drive. Eggsy was in a car with Harry, Percival and Roxy. Harry was driving, Eggsy and Roxy were in the back. Merlin had stayed behind in the plane, where he had a monitor that was connected to all of their glasses. Not only could he see all their streams, he could also talk to and hear everyone through their earpieces, and if necessary connect agents to each other.

He was talking to them now. “Everyone, stop here. The cars will be hidden by the trees. Just follow the road on foot, when you round the corner you will see the house. Stay between the trees if at all possible until Erec has opened the gate. Erec, wait for my signal that someone has left.” 

“Understood.” Eggsy said. He still was not used to being called Erec. Was it weird he hadn’t even for a moment considered that the codename was not just for the mission, but for ever? Well, he had not known back then that they would make two recruits Kingsman. And neither had the rest. 

They walked through the trees parallel to the road, and stopped when the house was within eyeshot. The big metal fence surrounding the house had no horizontal bars at all, except for the top, where spikes were mounted. The spikes were more decorative than actually meant for protection, so nothing to worry about, but the height of the fence, two and a half meters by the looks of it, would make it difficult to climb it. The only thing he could put his foot on was the little box where the code had to be typed into. It was important he would be over the fence quickly, before the warmth of the touch of the person leaving would be gone. 

They waited in complete silence for a few nerve-wracking minutes, not quite daring to get close enough to the fence to see if someone was approaching. After what felt like an hour, Merlin’s voice sounded softly in Eggsy’s ear. “Erec, prepare to run. Wait for my signal, I will say it when he is out of sight.” For about twenty seconds there was a tense silence again. “Go!” Merlin said urgently. Eggsy ran out of the bushes towards the fence, hearing that some of the Kingsman had approached with him, to fend off any guards that might try to shoot him. He jumped up as high as he could, putting one foot in between the bars onto the small box, then jumped up again, grabbing the top of the fence in between the spikes with both hands. He pulled himself up as high as he could, feeling his muscles strain painfully, holding all his weight, then swung one arm forward over the fence so he hung by his armpit and one hand. He bent his arm to grab one of the spikes from the inside, using it to pull himself forward and up a bit more, until his body was so high he could push himself up with his hand. Then he could pull his knees up and carefully swing one leg over the fence, in between two of the spikes. He was now half-sitting on the fence, and bent his other leg to squeeze his foot onto the fence. The he put his weight on his foot and pushed himself into an almost standing position, turned around, grabbed two spikes and lowered himself until he was hanging by the spikes, then he let go, landing on his feet. He quickly tapped the glasses once, to switch to infrared. The numbers 1,3,8 and 9 next to the little red light had been touched. 

“A date,” Merlin said. Obviously. But which one? 1938, 1893, 1839? “Can’t be Valentine’s birthday.” Merlin said, answering an unasked question. 

Eggsy heard a shot being fired from Kingsman’s side, but didn’t hear a body go down, so the guard who got shot must have been all the way at the house. “Gazelle’s birthday?” Eggsy asked, but another shot made him decide that there was no real time to wait for an answer, so he just guessed this was it and punched in 1938. The little red light in the box turned to green, and Eggsy pulled open the gate. 

“Well done, Eggsy.” Merlin said relieved, then the other agents came running from the bushes. “Two guards down at the windows of the house.” Merlin commented. “Brilliant shots Gareth, Kay. Stay behind please.” They both crouched down in the bushes again, while Percival, Roxy and Harry ran through the gate with Eggsy. “Bors and Gawain, go around the left side of the gate, Ector and Tristan, take the right side. Stay on the outside. Valentine might try to leave through an exit that isn’t accounted for.” Merlin said. 

Harry caught up with Eggsy, saying “We take the front door.” Eggsy nodded, but then ten men came running from both sides of the house. “We take the left,” Percival yelled cheerfully, and Harry and Eggsy dutifully focused on the five men who had come from the right. Harry took out two of them with neat shots to the head, Eggsy managed to hit one in the neck, dodged a bullet, then fired at the man again to put him out of his misery. He was pulled to the side by Harry, and felt a bullet graze his arm, then Harry took a shot and the man who had tried to shoot Eggsy was hit in the stomach. Eggsy shot the fifth man in the head, while Harry fired again at the man he had shot, who was bleeding profusely, but still standing somehow. Now he did go down. Eggsy glanced to his left, to the pile of bodies on the other side. Roxy and Percival were good shots.

“Check the windows,” Harry said. He was already looking up at the house, checking if there were any people by the windows. Eggsy did the same, he didn’t see anyone. “All clear,” Harry said. 

Percival nodded at them and motioned for them to stay back, then he ran to the door, while pulling something out of his pocket. He attached something to the handle, and then came running back to them. Moments later the door was blown off its hinges. 

“We go first,” Harry said, motioning for Eggsy to follow. Since they had no idea what the house looked like on the inside, they didn’t know what to expect at all. Harry walked over the pieces of door that were lying around with his gun up. 

Eggsy followed close behind, with his gun still up as well. There was a big hall, with a wide staircase leading up, and three doors. Fuck. 

“This floor first,” Harry said softly. “Pervical, cover the stairs, Lancelot, the front door. Erec, the other doors.” 

Eggsy nodded and pointed his gun at the second door out of three. Harry opened the first door, took two steps inside and came out again, “Clear.” Eggsy pointed his gun at the third door now, while Harry opened the second door and fired once. “Clear.” He nodded at Eggsy and opened the third one. They were met with gunfire immediately, and one person ran towards them, waving his gun. Eggsy shot him in the head at the same time Harry did, and caught the dead body with one arm, using him as a shield. Harry positioned himself behind Eggsy, and fired over his shoulder at two guards who were approaching as well. It was a sitting room of some kind, with a table that was big enough for at least twenty people. Luckily there were not quite as many guards, only the two who were shooting at them but only hitting their dead colleague, and one that pressed himself into a corner with his hands up. 

“Two behind the sofa,” Merlin said in their ears. “And Percival is in a spot of trouble, so Lance-“ The explosion made the entire house shake. “Never mind Lancelot, keep in position, Percival is okay. Percival, help out Galahad and Erec.” 

An arm appeared over the sofa, and without hesitating Eggsy shot the gun out of his hand. It brought back unpleasant memories which he tried to shake immediately. This was not the right time for sadness. He dropped the dead man and stepped over him, aiming at the man who had had his hands up but now reached for his belt. He shot him in the stomach twice and he sank to the ground. 

Harry was walking towards the sofa very softly. 

Eggsy looked for any other hiding spots, but there was no way a grown man could hide anywhere else but behind the sofa, where according to Merlin two men were, one of which wounded. Oh, the perks of being able to pause a stream. 

Harry jumped onto the sofa and fired behind it twice. He turned around and pointed at the door. 

Eggsy nodded and retreated back into the hall, where Roxy was standing with her back towards him in what was left of the frame of the front door. Percival was standing on the lowest step of the stairs, which were blackened and where three burned bodies were lying. 

“Percival, Galahad, Erec, go upstairs. Lancelot, Bors is on his way to you, as soon as you see him join the rest upstairs, he will take your position.” 

“Copy,” Roxy said. 

Percival didn’t even look back at them, he simply started walking up the stairs quietly, stepping over the scattered bodies. 

Eggsy was almost at the stairs, with Harry following closely, when there was a scraping sound above his head. It only took him a moment to realise this could mean only one thing: Gazelle was running through the hallway, towards the stairs. Eggsy arrived at the stairs and looked up, to find out it was indeed Gazelle’s legs that were making the horrible sound on the floor. 

Percival was almost at the top of the stairs, and shot at her, but she jumped and kicked the bullet away, which lodged itself into the wall. Eggsy thought he heard Percival say “Holy fucking shit!”, and could only agree, then Gazelle jumped forward and kicked Percival’s gun away. 

Eggsy only saw now that she had a gun in her hand as well, as if her legs weren’t weapon enough, and was aiming it at Percival’s head. Eggsy stopped to aim at Gazelle, but didn’t dare shoot, not with Percival standing between him and Gazelle, and with her holding Percival at gunpoint. 

This was it then, wasn’t it? 

She would either shoot Percival or cleave him in half the way she had done Lancelot. 

But she didn’t seem interested in killing at all. She looked past Percival, at Eggsy and Harry, and her smirk indicated she recognised Eggsy immediately. He had had not doubt she would. She turned around and went through one of the door to her right. She was simply canvassing how many of them there were. And apparently what she found didn’t impress her at all. 

“Percival!” Merlin said loudly. It sounded like a warning. “Find the batteries!” 

Percival picked up his gun, which fell apart into two pieces. 

“Percival,” Harry called out, and threw his gun at Percival, then took another one out of his suit. 

“Cheers,” Percival said with a grin, and the three of them went upstairs. Percival opened the first door at the left, finding nobody there. 

“Valentine is probably where Gazelle is,” Eggsy said. They were supposed to arrest Valentine after all, right? 

“Not important right now, Erec.” Merlin said. “The batteries. NOW!” 

Eggsy didn’t really get why, but didn’t doubt Merlin had his reasons. 

Roxy joined them. “What’s the plan?” she asked, obviously addressing Merlin. 

“Just make sure Valentine can’t get to the batteries. That’s the most important thing. Kill if you have to, but TRY to arrest him.” There were four doors at both sides of the hallway, and Gazelle had gone through the third door at the right. 

“Lance, we take the left side,” Percival said, and Roxy nodded. 

Harry motioned for Eggsy to open the first door at the right. Eggsy threw the door open and Harry stepped in, aiming his gun around the room while Eggsy covered him. “Clear.” They moved on to the next door, at the same time that Roxy and Percival did it with the room across from it. This room was empty of people as well. “Clear.” Harry walked in further. The room was full of boxes, and on the left side of the room there was another door, which could only lead to the room next to it, the one where Gazelle had gone. Harry tried to open it, but it was locked from the other side. “Shite,” he whispered under his breath. 

In another situation it would have made Eggsy laugh. But now there was no time for jokes. 

“Those are the same that the Krays had.” Eggsy said, gesturing at the boxes.

Harry carefully opened one box to check. They were indeed filled with the same plain-looking batteries that caused suicidal thoughts. 

“Galahad and Percival, switch places please.” Merlin said. “Erec, stay.” 

Harry squeezed Eggsy’s shoulder, and went into the hallway, seconds later Percival entered with a grim expression on his face. “There they are, those little bastards,” he mumbled, kneeling down next to the boxes. He took something out of his inner pocket, a small box with lots of wires that he pulled out like a magician that pulls an endless handkerchief out of his fist. It had to be at least four meters of wire in total, that had been neatly rolled up in Percival’s pocket. “Open the boxes please,” Percival said distractedly. 

“Merlin?” Eggsy asked. He was supposed to cover Percival, he couldn’t really do that when he was busy opening boxes. 

“Do it,” Merlin said. Okay then. 

Percival was wrapping the copper wire around batteries, connecting wires with each other and with batteries in other boxes, and obviously knew what he was doing, so there had to be some kind of plan. 

Eggsy started setting the boxes that were stacked onto the ground, so Percival could reach them, and started opening them quickly. 

Suddenly, the door at the side of the room flung open, crashing against the wall. Gazelle strode in like she had all the time in the world. Eggsy could only see a glimpse of Valentine standing in the other room, then Gazelle kicked the door closed. 

Percival dropped something when the door closed with a bang, but only looked up for a moment, continuing to do whatever the fuck he was doing. 

Eggsy jumped to his feet and aimed his gun at her. 

“Not just Ronald’s toy then,” she remarked with a smirk. She had two guns in her hand, casually aiming them at Eggsy and Percival, who finally got up but was, Eggsy saw with despair, unarmed. Had he dropped his fucking gun? 

Jesus. 

They were fucked. 

“Valentine wants to know who gave you this address. Was it Reginald?” she took a step closer. “Or you looooverr?” 

Eggsy didn’t respond. 

“Drop your weapon or I’ll aim an inch to the side,” she said, and fired. 

He flinched when the bullet flew past his head, close enough to make his hair move. She wasn’t kidding. 

He dropped his gun, hoping that the fact that Merlin wasn’t saying anything was a good sign.  
He had to buy time for Harry and Roxy. They had to get to the third room and hold Valentine hostage. Trade him for them. What the hell was taking them so long anyway? 

Or they had already been captured. 

And maybe Merlin wasn’t silent. Maybe he was dead. 

Oh shit. 

He cleared his throat. Not answering was the surest way to get killed immediately. “Reginald did.” He wasn’t sure it was true, but saying this seemed the safer option right now. If she thought it was Ronnie, she might take her anger out on Eggsy, thinking it was the way to hurt Ronnie. 

“And the other one,” she said, looking at his chest. Fuck. She must have seen he had a second gun still in his holster. With any other person he would have risked it, but she didn’t only have a gun as her weapons, so he carefully took out his other gun and dropped it. He glanced at her legs nervously. The legs that had killed Lancelot. 

She saw his look and grinned, then shifted her attention over to Percival, who for some reason didn’t seem very impressed. “Step away from the boxes,” Gazelle said calmly. 

Percival ignored her. He was looking at Gazelle’s legs as well, then looked at Eggsy. It was only when Eggsy saw that look in Percival’s eyes that he realised that when Percival had asked Merlin for permission to blow up the estate, which Eggsy had taken for Percival just wanting to see some nice explosions, was actually about so much more. This wasn’t just Percival being Percival, not just a guy who loved chaos. This was about wanting to be the one to take revenge. 

It was about pay back. 

It was about Lancelot. 

Percival seemed to notice the realisation in Eggsy’s eyes. He nodded with a sad smile. “The house is quiet without him.” Then he kicked something, the thing that he had dropped when Gazelle came in. It was some orb the size of a golf ball, and it flew towards Gazelle in an impossibly straight line. 

Percival jumped away, correctly predicting she would instinctively point both guns at the thing, which put him in the line of fire. 

She tried to shoot the thing but it was too fast, it attached itself to her legs with a metallic click that could only mean that it was a magnet. Then there were sparks where the orb connected with her legs, a crackling of electricity that made Gazelle scream in pain and drop one of her weapons. She recovered quickly, furiously aimed her gun at Percival, and pulled the trigger without it making a sound. 

Eggsy jumped forward, intending to disarm, but she kicked at him and he jumped back. She kicked the orb off her leg with the other one, probably afraid it would shock her again, and now she focused her rage on Eggsy. Her legs made that nauseating scraping sound that again reminded Eggsy what she was capable off. She smiled at him, a terrifying, unhinged smile, like she was getting ready to play a game she was very fond off. Eggsy was unarmed, totally at her mercy, and she knew it. 

He didn’t dare look at Percival directly as to not have her check if he was really dead, but he could see from his peripheral vision that while he had been hit, the suit had stopped the bullet. 

“Do you want to die like your friends over there…” she nodded at the hallway, while very slowly walking towards Eggsy, “or like the one who tried to save professor Arnold?”. 

Oh God. 

Harry. 

Roxy. 

Dead. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. Please, please let it be a lie. Please.

She dragged the sharp tips of her legs over the floor on purpose. It was obvious which option she preferred. 

“How did my ‘friends over there’ die?” he asked. 

She gave him a cold, unimpressed look. “How do you think?” 

“You shot them,” he said. There obviously was a silencer on her gun so it was possible even though he hadn’t heard gunshots, but he preferred to think that she was bluffing. 

Percival was very slowly raising his arm, until it was in front of his glasses and gave it a small wave. Then, all hell broke loose. 

A shot was fired in the next room, and not a second later, both doors were violently kicked open at the same time.

Gazelle jumped and pulled the trigger, hitting Eggsy in the chest, who was pushed back by the force of the bullet –Jesus, compared to this the rubber bullet hadn’t hurt at all – but managed to not fall down this time. Gazelle turned around to see Harry – Oh thank God! Harry! – jump towards her with his gun up, and swung her leg upwards, probably intending to slice his hand off. He pulled his arm back last second, without firing, because misfiring could mean he’d hit Eggsy. 

Eggsy rolled away, out of the line of fire, towards Percival, scrambled to his feet and pulled Percival up as well. 

Gazelle fired at Harry, and made an angry sound when she saw the bullet didn’t penetrate him. She tossed her weapon and tensed her muscles, ready to jump, but Roxy, who’d come through the other door unnoticed, hit her in the back of her neck, obviously using her signet ring. She jumped back quickly when Gazelle kicked at her, and for a moment, Gazelle was only looking at Roxy with a murderous expression. Roxy’s chest was covered in blood, Gazelle must have grazed her despite her jumping back. 

Harry, who was bloodied as well, could again not take the shot, Roxy was too close, but Eggsy saw his chance and ran towards her. He only had to get close enough and remember his gymnastics training. 

Gazelle saw him approach and turned towards him, jumped up high, intending to cut his head off probably, but Eggsy had predicted this. He threw his arms up over his head and could practically hear his old gymnastics teacher narrate what he was doing, like he had done hundreds of times when Eggsy had to demonstrate something to the other pupils. He slammed his heels together, arched his back and let himself fall back, causing Gazelle to kick the air above his body, (“This is called a back bend”), landed on his hands (“and this is a bridge”), then pushed his feet off the ground, swinging his legs over his body in a roundhouse motion, (“and this is called a kickover”), hitting Gazelle in the leg with the tip of his shoe, and landed on his feet again. 

She only had a small incision in the back of her leg, and smirked at him unimpressed. She prepared to jump again, but then her whole body started shaking. She looked down at the wound, which was rapidly turning black and spreading to the rest of her body, and back at Eggsy, then she fell to the floor, still shaking violently. 

“Everyone, get out of there!” Merlin’s voice was back in their ears, and there was a stressed urgency to it. 

Eggsy grabbed Roxy’s hand, who was still looking at Gazelle’s shaking body, and pulled her out through the door. He heard Harry’s footsteps behind them. They ran through the hall, jumped over the dead bodies on the stairs, and were almost through the front door, where Bors was waiting, when Roxy suddenly screamed “What about Percival?”.

Eggsy looked back and saw that Percival wasn’t there. 

“He knows what he is doing!” Merlin insisted, “GET OUT OF THERE! NOW!” 

Roxy looked back once again but Harry pushed her through the door and urged them to keep running. 

“Percival?” Merlin said urgently, and he must have connected Percival to everyone, because they heard him yell “One moment,” sounding both piss-scared and excited. 

“OUT!” Merlin shouted. “Galahad, fifty meters! At least!” 

“Copy,” Harry said, still running. 

There were two people running parallel to them, just outside the gates. Ector and Tristan. 

“Where is Gawain?” Roxy shouted. 

“Safe,” was Merlin’s short answer. “RUN PERCIVAL!” he screamed then. 

They made it to the gate and ran through it, only turning around when they were at least fifty meters from the house. At the first explosion they saw Percival run out of the house, laughing like a madman. “MERLIN!” he screamed. 

“What is it? Are you in danger?” 

“NO THIS IS FUCKING FANTASTIC! FUCKING FIREWORKS!” 

He was right. Multi-coloured puffs of smoke erupted out of the house, blew windows to bits and tore the bricks apart. 

Percival was running around amidst the flying debris and coloured explosions, crying with joy. 

Eggsy watched the house in awe. Who would have thought that destruction could be so beautiful? 

 

****

 

Merlin urged them to not stand around, no matter how beautiful it looked, and make it back to the plane as fast as possible. 

“What happened to Valentine?” Eggsy asked Roxy when they were sitting in the back of the car again. 

Harry drove, while Percival was softly weeping in the passenger seat. 

“Well, let’s just start at the beginning, shall we? When Percival and Galahad switched places, we continued to open all the doors on the left. When we arrived at the last door, it turned out to have a bomb-like thing in it. Like the bomb that Kray had in his house, but a newer design. One that would probably actually work. And Merlin was cursing at us that he would ask Percival back if we didn’t manage to dismantle it right away, cause it was on a timer. Apparently it was remote controlled or something, and Valentine had just switched it on? Anyway, we only had five minutes. And we are no demolition experts.” She gave the back of Percival’s head a fond look. “Not like him. So we are both looking at the thing, when suddenly that woman comes into the hallway, from the room we had expected her to be in. So we weren’t really surprised, but then Merlin said that you guys needed more time, and that if we started shooting around, you would both have to stop what you were doing, and since Merlin really wanted those batteries gone, he decided it was best if we just pretended to die right away. So Harry touched some spot on my suit… hold on,” she put her arm around Eggsy’s shoulders, looking for a spot somewhere in the seams of the arm. She found what she was looking for, pushed it, and something that resembled blood came pouring out of his chest pocket. “Cool right? So she shot us, we fake-died a bit, and she went back into that room where Valentine was. And we were still trying to find a way to dismantle that bomb, but there was just no way we would be able to, not within less than four minutes. And then we heard her kick open a door to your room. So Galahad picked the lock to the room Valentine was in, and the guy was totally taken by surprise, and was about to shout, but Galahad had his hand on his mouth before he could say a word. And Merlin told us all about your situation, that you were unarmed, that Percival was almost finished building his own bloody bomb, and that he had told Percival to give a signal when we should step in. And then Valentine pulled out a gun and aimed it at me, and the next thing you know, his neck is snapped.” Roxy looked at him with wide eyes as she told this. “Crazy right? But Galahad had to. Valentine actually fired as well, a lousy shot, but still. And luckily Percival gave the signal at that moment, because we would have had to go in either way. And well, you know the story from there.” 

Percival cleared his throat. “I put a bullet through Gazelle’s head before I went back to the batteries. Neurotoxins can take up to two minutes. Better this way.” He fell silent again.

Eggsy was amazed at the humanity of that. To end a woman’s suffering who had minutes before boasted about killing the person who – he knew now – you loved most in this world. Because there was no doubt in his mind anymore about what Lancelot had meant to Percival. It was heart-breaking, and made him feel sorry for Percival, and also made his head spin with latent realisations. Because there were things he was only now realising had happened. The weird arm movement that Ronnie had made seconds before Eggsy tried to drag him down to safety, was him throwing a gun at Reggie the same way Harry had thrown one at Percival today. It had to be. Reggie’s gun had jammed when he tried to kill McVitie, and yet there were shots coming from his corner. It was acts of selflessness like that on Ronnie’s part that Eggsy couldn’t forget. But it was things like the coldblooded way Ronnie had told him to kill Parston, the way he had killed George Cornell over an insult, that Eggsy couldn’t forgive. And yes, Eggsy had felt wanted and sometimes even loved when he was with Ronnie, but Ronnie holding the door open for him and asking him if he wasn’t cold without a jacket didn’t make him a good person. They only made him a good partner. And in the grand scheme of things, that simply wasn’t enough.

Eggsy could never love someone like that, someone who would willingly make use of devices specifically designed to kill many people. Someone who thought of murders as business. 

And that was the difference between Kingsman and the Krays, between good and evil. They had committed murders today, because it would save countless lives. Because the suffering and death of the people here, saved countless others from suffering and dying. And taking a life was not some easy choice one could make. It was the hardest fucking thing in the world. But it had to be done. 

He didn’t enjoy knowing that Gazelle would have died because of him, just like he knew Percival didn’t enjoy having shot her, and Harry didn’t enjoy having to kill Valentine to keep him from killing Roxy. And maybe the intentions of a kill didn’t matter, since the end result was the same – a dead person was a dead person, right? – but it still made a difference. It was the reason he would never be able to love someone like Ronnie in the long term, while he had no trouble imagining loving someone like the old Lancelot. 

Someone like Percival. 

Someone like Galahad. Someone like Harry. 

****

Eggsy walked into the cell Ronnie was kept, who looked surprised when he saw him. “Teddy?” 

“We don’t have much time.” Eggsy pushed him up against the wall with more force than he’d meant to use, and kissed Ronnie on the lips in a deep, passionate kiss. He knew it would be the last time, and Ronnie knew so too. Eggsy pulled back, gently touching Ronnie’s lips with his thumb. “I can’t get you out of ‘ere Ronnie, I don’t have the resources you do, but I did what I could, yeah? They gonna place you in a ‘ospital, I said I wasn’t gonna talk if they put you in the slammer.” 

Ronnie nodded. He looked different. “I know,” he said. 

“It’s not much, I know, but you’ll be safe there and-“ 

Ronnie held up a hand to stop him. “It’s a lot,” he said softly. “They have me on medication that…” he shook his head. “It’s better.” There seemed to be sadness in his eyes, a kind of warmth as well, and suddenly Eggsy realised what was different about him. He was calm. 

Not the temporary kind, the calm before the storm, but real calmness. Serenity. _The meds are working_ , he thought, and it made him feel better. Maybe ending up in the hospital was the best thing that could have happened to Ronnie. 

“I don’t feel so cloudy all the time,” Ronnie said softly. “Not like I’m about to… do something.” He looked Eggsy in the eyes. “You know what I mean? I feel in control of myself.” He sounded like it surprised him. Like he only truly realised it now he said it. 

“Is there anything else I can do?” Eggsy asked. He meant it. 

Ronnie shook his head, grabbing Eggsy’s hand. Then he started nodding. “Can you tell my mum that I’m truly sorry about the pain this is causing her?” The sadness in his eyes made Eggsy’s eyes water too. He wasn’t sure how he was going to have the same conversation he had essentially had with his own mum only a few weeks back, with a woman he had never met, about her son who was would never get out again. “I will,” he promised, and he knew he would do it, whatever it would take. 

He kissed Ronnie again, a slow, careful kiss that said everything they had always left unspoken. When he left the room, he looked back at Ronnie, mourning the fact that it would be the last time he saw him.

****

It wasn’t the last time. Only a few weeks later, Eggsy quietly stood at the courtroom, and watched Ronnie get brought in. Ronnie didn’t see him, as had been Eggsy’s intention. 

Six months later, Eggsy got assigned to check out a building right across the street from Broadmoor, the hospital where Ronnie was kept. From the building, he could see right through the windows into the cafeteria, where Ronnie was sitting. Eggsy smiled when he remembered that Harry had said he had to make sure to be there at lunchtime, which had seemed like an odd request at the time, but now he understood. It meant a lot to him, things like this. That Harry would go to lengths to make sure Ronnie could go here instead of prison, that Harry had gotten the pictures to him, which were neatly packed away in a cupboard in the Kingsman house he had gotten. His mum and Daisy had moved in there as well, a week after Dean suddenly got arrested. When Eggsy brought it up to Harry he simply shrugged with a smirk, saying that some evidence had come up through the Richardsons investigation. It was an obvious lie, and it meant the world to Eggsy.  
Eggsy spent an hour watching Ronnie, equal parts sad and relieved. Ronnie’s face had gotten puffy because of the medication, in fact his whole body had changed. But he seemed happy. Calm. A totally different person than he had been when they first met. And that made Eggsy sad. Because while this Ronnie Kray seemed happier, he wouldn’t have fallen for him. It was partly the sense of adventure, of unpredictability that had been the attraction, and it was completely gone from him now. Which somehow also was a relief. It meant he could mourn Ronnie in the past tense. 

He could let him go. 

****

Harry had been both right and wrong when he said their accomplishments never quite made it to the papers. The explosion at Valentine’s house prompted a major investigation, and was in the news for weeks. While Kingsman was never mentioned of course, it was weird knowing they were responsible for what people called a ‘tragedy’ and a ‘revolutionary thinker gone too soon’, which had actually been the death of a murderous maniac. The batteries were completely gone, no trace of them was left. Percival was good at what he did. 

Other missions followed, and almost every time Eggsy was teamed with Harry. He liked it that way. Merlin remarked that one had to ‘never change a winning team’, and Eggsy had to agree. It didn’t surprise him, somehow, how smoothly their missions always seemed to go. Not that that meant they always got away unharmed, it was a dangerous job even for the best of the best, but it just worked. A look was enough for both to understand what they would do, which steps to take, how to help each other. Eggsy felt safe with Harry, knew he would always go the extra mile to keep him safe, and that he would do the same for Harry. And yes, he was aware of his own budding feelings, even though he tried to push them away at first. He didn’t want to lose someone. He had been through that before, even if the ways couldn’t be any more different. 

It took him two years and countless missions to realise one simple truth: that once you had had your heart broken like this, there was nothing left to fear. 

It was after a mission in Ghana, a mission they had barely escaped with their lives – not their faults really, they couldn’t have known that the ambassadors daughter they were trying to rescue had actually planned her own kidnapping and wasn’t guarded by just the ‘kidnappers’ mooks but by her own freaking private army as well – that Eggsy finally gathered the courage to just do it. 

What was more scary, fifty men pointing Kalashnikovs at him, or telling Harry what was on his mind? Well, telling Harry, obviously, but he was still going to do it.

So that was why, hours after their plane had landed in England, Eggsy took the one-minute walk to Harry’s house and knocked on his door. 

Harry opened, looking a bit surprised to see him, it was after eleven after all, but Eggsy gave him no chance to comment on it. “I do not have any sense of self-preservation, so I’m just gonna say it, and it don’t matter what you think – I mean, of course it matters, it would be really fucking great if you- but anyway, even if you don’t I just wanna say it, so I won’t always think ‘what if’, you know?” 

“Eggsy,” Harry tried to stop his rambling, but Eggsy gave him a pleading look. 

“Sorry Harry, I just really need to do this NOW ‘cause I don’t know if I’ll have the balls tomorrow, or even in ten minutes, so please just let me say what I need to say. Please.” 

Harry nodded, still looking slightly worried, but also with curiosity in his eyes. 

“Being with Ronnie – no matter how fucked up it was, and how dangerous and everything – made me realize… it made me realize that the admiration I felt for you – feel for you – was not just that. You know… it was, like… it made me realize that I really, really like you. Not as a mentor – not JUST as a mentor, obviously, I’m glad you were my mentor, but like, as more than that? And like I said, if you don’t feel the same that is absolutely fine and we can pretend this never ‘appened, but there it is. I like you. I…” he hesitated, averted his gaze, took a deep breath… “I’m in love with you.” Eggsy’s cheeks were a deeper shade of red than Harry had known a human could turn. Eggsy looked up at Harry, not quite daring to look him in the eyes yet. 

“Good evening, Eggsy,” an amused voice behind Harry said. Startled, Eggsy jerked his head up. 

Merlin was standing in the doorway to the living room, looking rather amused. “I’ll take this as my cue to leave,” he said with a wink, brushed past Harry and squeezed Eggsy’s shoulder lightly, pushing him into the hallway. He smirked at the two of them – who were looking rather sheepish – one last time, and closed the front door behind him. 

Eggsy looked as if he wanted the ground to swallow him whole. 

Harry on the other hand, smiled at his protégé. “Now you’ll understand my hesitation,” he said casually. “Do you perhaps want to continue this conversation in the living room?” 

Eggsy groaned. Was this really the time to be polite? But he complied anyway, following Harry into the living room, where he plopped down on the sofa. He buried his face in his hands. “Oh God,” he mumbled. He could feel Harry sitting down next to him, the sofa denting in a bit under his weight, making Eggsy’s body lean to the left a bit, towards Harry. To his surprise, Harry put an arm around his shoulder. “So, Eggsy. There was actually something I wanted to say before Merlin’s perfectly timed exit, although I’m quite glad we now have some actual privacy.” He chuckled softly. “Eggsy? Look at me.” 

Eggsy did as he was asked, shyly glancing at Harry from between his fingers. 

Harry carefully grabbed him by both wrists and moved his hands away from his face. “Eggsy,” he said again, and he sounded absolutely sincere, “The Kray-mission made me discover some things about myself as well. One: It would have destroyed me had something happened to you. Two: I really missed you when you were away. Three: I never wanted to be apart from you again.” He moved Eggsy’s hand, which he still had in his, towards his mouth and placed a coy kiss on the back. Eggsy was still blushing profusely, he was sure Harry could feel his heartbeat race under his fingertips. “And most importantly, I’m in love with you as well.” 

Eggsy looked at him with a mixture of disbelief, relief, and utter adoration. All of a sudden, he lunged forward, practically flinging himself on top of Harry, and threw his arms around Harry’s neck. He pulled himself forward so he could climb on top of Harry’s lap, who, after the initial surprise, moved to the side a bit so Eggsy had room for his legs. Eggsy nuzzled his face into Harry’s neck, his breathing was ragged, somewhere between sobs and laughs, and Harry knew exactly how he felt, because he felt it too. He put his arms around Eggsy’s back and held him close, not wanting to let go ever again. 

****

Harry woke him with a kiss. 

Eggsy pulled the blanket all the way over his head “Five more minutes.” 

The blanket was being pulled away gently, but firmly, and Eggsy knew he was fighting a losing battle. He blinked against the sudden light, and sleepily smiled up at Harry, who was of course fully dressed already. 

“It’s our day off,” Eggsy mumbled. “Come back to bed.” 

Harry kissed his forehead. “Wake up, sleepyhead. It’s a special day.” 

Eggsy yawned one last time and stretched his arms over his head. It wasn’t his birthday. It wasn’t Harry’s birthday either. And it was February, so no Christmas, or Easter, or whatever else it could be. What kind of special days were there in February? He couldn’t think of one. He pushed himself upright and pulled Harry closer, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, smiling at him fondly. “What day is it?” he asked. He could feel Harry’s smile against his cheek, and pressed a small kiss to Harry’s. 

February fourteenth,” Harry said teasingly. 

O God. Suddenly fully awake, Eggsy pulled back and looked at Harry with a shocked expression on his face that was apparently very funny, because Harry started laughing.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t expect you to remember,” he said. 

Eggsy groaned. “Valentine’s day? Really? I thought we said we wouldn’t-“ 

Harry shushed him with a kiss. “Yes. We did. And this year I decided that I could look past he consumerism,” he kissed Eggsy’s left cheek, “and obligation,” he kissed his right cheek, “and your overall hatred of presents,” he kissed his lips again, “and get you a gift.” He stood up and grinned down at Eggsy cheekily. “So go take a shower, and I will see you downstairs.” He picked up J.B and left the bedroom. 

Eggsy sank back into the pillows for a moment, smiling at the ceiling like an idiot. It had been almost six years since he had gathered the courage to tell Harry how he felt, six years that were filled with love, and companionship, countless adventures – mission-related and otherwise, and a kind of domestic home life he had never thought possible. 

The best six years of his life. 

He got up and took a shower, got dressed, and walked downstairs, whistling a tune. Whatever it was that Harry had gotten him, it was probably perfect, and would make him feel slightly bad about having completely forgotten it even was valentine’s day, even though they had promised to not celebrate it, ever. 

The table was set beautifully, there were fresh croissants and Harry had even lit some candles. Eggsy blushed when he saw it all, and even more when he looked at Harry, who was beaming at him as if Eggsy was his entire world. 

Six years, and Harry still made him feel like this on a daily basis. 

Harry pulled a chair back for Eggsy, ever the gentleman, but didn’t take a seat himself. He smiled at Eggsy, seeming excited and nervous at the same time, and Eggsy was just about to ask what was going on, when Harry pulled a small box from his inner pocket and went down on one knee. 

Eggsy’s jaw dropped. 

Harry took his hand, and while Eggsy knew he would start to cry within a few seconds, he tried to push back his tears. 

“My dear Eggsy,” Harry said, and his voice was shaking in an adorable way that made not-crying so much harder, “you are the love of my life. And it is true that in some ways I am very old-fashioned, as you like to remind me. On a daily basis,” 

Eggsy let out a shaky laugh, and wiped away a tear,

“but in some ways I am more modern than even our government. So while this is only theoretical at this point, please know I mean my question with every fibre of my being. Eggsy, will you marry me?” 

Eggsy stood up, still holding Harry’s hand, and sank to his knees, embracing Harry as hard as he could. “Yes,” he sobbed, “Yes of course.” 

****

Merlin started tearing up when Eggsy showed him the ring, mumbled something about allergies and told him to leave, sniffling he had work to do. The door was slammed shut in Eggsy’s face, followed by a loud sob, and then Merlin opened the door again and hugged him tightly, crying something about ‘happy’ and ‘finally’ and ‘we are family now’ and ‘if you ever hurt him I will let Percival blow up everything you hold dear’. 

Percival grinned at Eggsy and high-fived him, Roxy started crying immediately, some of the older agents immediately started arguing over who had won the office-pool (“you said after five years, it’s been almost six” “Yes, but you said seven years and Eggsy would propose, so I was closer” “It wasn’t during a mission though, so really you are both wrong”), before remembering to congratulate them. 

For years they hoped the government would catch up with them, and with every year that passed they realised that it wasn’t a piece of paper that made a family. It wasn’t a ceremony that made them husbands.

Love did that. All of it. 

****

They were standing on the balcony of their house. Harry had his arms wrapped around Eggsy’s chest, and softly rested his chin on Eggsy’s shoulder. Eggsy turned his head and pressed a kiss to the corner of Harry’s mouth, making him smile fondly. 

“This is the happiest I have ever been.” Eggsy sighed.

Harry chuckled and kissed him on the cheek. “You say that a lot.” 

“And I mean it every time.” He closed his eyes and leaned back, cherishing the warmth of Harry’s embrace on this cold day. 

“I know you do,” Harry said softly. He gently kissed Eggsy’s neck. “I love you.” 

Now Eggsy chuckled. “And you say that a lot.” He turned around in Harry’s arms, looking up at him in anticipation of their private joke. 

Harry grinned at him. “And I mean it every time.” 

Eggsy leaned his head on Harry’s shoulder. “I love you too. And I mean it every time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end of the journey! I hope you liked it, and i want to thank everyone for reading, and commenting, and giving kudos, and for making me keep going! You have been so sweet and encouraging, and it means a lot. Thank you, all of you! 
> 
> P.S. I have a tumblr, so if you like randomness, check it out proudofmygeneration (dot) tumblr (dot) com


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